Box Lunch vs Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Box Lunch Franchise
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
Investment $120,000 - $150,000$534,950 - $874,000
Franchise Fee $15,000$40,000
Royalty Fee -6%
Advertising Fee -Up to 4%
Year Founded -1977
Year Franchised -2009
Term Of Agreement --
Term Of Agreement --
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Box Lunch 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

 
Box Lunch 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

 
Box Lunch 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

 
Box Lunch Franchise
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
US Expansion -Yes
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion -Yes

Company Overviews

About Box Lunch

Box Lunch is a no-frills fast service Sandwich Shop. We don't cook!! We feature Rolled PITA bread sandwiches (the Rollwich?) and use only the best quality ingredients. The perception of the general public is that we are a healthy alternative to Fried food. Our ingredients appeal to a broad demographic, and are neither healthfood nor ethnically oriented. Our speed results from our basic operating system. We can easily feed 250 people per hour with a small crew and in a small space. We are perfectly suited to take-out, and to drive-up service. Our average per-customer is about $7.00, food costs of about %30, and our competition is anyone else in that price range. Start-up costs for Box Lunch are reasonable (usually under $120,000) and our fees are low. Some freedom of menu offerings is possible, and "home-cooked" sides and desserts are encouraged, but optional. We do NOT allow fried food or alcohol to be sold from our stores; it's just bad for our image.

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.