Great Canadian Bagel vs Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Great Canadian Bagel vs Potbelly Sandwich Shop including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Great Canadian Bagel Franchise
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
Investment $85,000 - $350,000$534,950 - $874,000
Franchise Fee $20,000$40,000
Royalty Fee -6%
Advertising Fee -Up to 4%
Year Founded 19931977
Year Franchised 19942009
Term Of Agreement --
Term Of Agreement --
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Great Canadian Bagel Franchise
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
Experience -Potbelly is looking for "Potbelly People" to become franchisees. That means people that love working with a team, have solid business experience (not necessarily in restaurants), the financial qualifications, possess personal motivation and have been successful. Our franchise owner/operator model is a two person team. Whether a family partnership or a business partnership we are looking for an operating team that wants to be owners of the neighborhood sandwich shop within their community.

Financing Options

 
Great Canadian Bagel Franchise
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/--/Yes
Start-up Costs -/--/Yes
Equipment -/--/Yes
Inventory -/--/Yes
Receivables -/--/Yes
Payroll -/--/Yes

Training & Support

 
Great Canadian Bagel Franchise
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
Training -

All new franchisees participate in a 10-12 week training program. This consists of real life experience in one of our company-owned training shops. In addition, we will train your key holding employees for 6 weeks at one of our company-owned training shops. Once completed, franchisees receive regular updates to their training along with our company-owned stores, including regular on site reviews. On-The-Job Training: 355 hours Classroom Training: 80 hours

Support -Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing -Ad Templates Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
Operations --

Expansion Plans

 
Great Canadian Bagel Franchise
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
US Expansion -Yes
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion -Yes

Company Overviews

About Great Canadian Bagel

In April, 1993 "The Great Canadian Bagel, Ltd." began operations with an initial store in Metropolitan Toronto. Featuring 24 varieties of fresh baked bagels, 21 flavours of cream cheese spreads and a selection of soups, salads, and made-to-order sandwiches, the store was an immediate success.
At The Great Canadian Bagel all bagels are baked fresh from recipes calling for only the finest natural ingredients with no preservatives. The majority of stores are equipped with an on-premise bakery enabling customers to watch the bagels being made and smell the aroma as they are taken from the oven. This combination of high quality product, attractive store atmosphere and their constant focus on providing the highest level of customer service all work together to set The Great Canadian Bagel a notch above the competition in the fast growing Bagel segment of the Foodservice market.

About Potbelly Sandwich Shop

From its humble beginnings as a small antique store on Chicago's North Side, Potbelly has grown from one to more than 200 shops serving neighborhoods in 12 states. Potbelly's unique experience is defined by its combination of toasty warm sandwiches, hand-dipped shakes, tasty made-to-order salads, live local music, as well as friendly and lively people. Potbelly has built a passionate, loyal following of fans that spread the word about the fun, energetic atmosphere and great food.

#131 in Franchise 500 for 2020.