Thundercloud Subs vs Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Thundercloud Subs Franchise
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
Investment $65,000 - $90,000$534,950 - $874,000
Franchise Fee $10,000$40,000
Royalty Fee -6%
Advertising Fee -Up to 4%
Year Founded 19751977
Year Franchised 02009
Term Of Agreement --
Term Of Agreement --
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Thundercloud Subs 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

 
Thundercloud Subs 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

 
Thundercloud Subs 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

 
Thundercloud Subs Franchise
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
US Expansion -Yes
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion -Yes

Company Overviews

About Thundercloud Subs

ThunderCloud Subs, a neighborhood sub shop with a rich tradition of good natured people serving FRESH, FAST & HEALTHY food in a great atmosphere. We started ThunderCloud in 1975 with a simple yet logical philosophy of selling a fresh meal at a reasonable price and we proudly maintain that same course today! IT'S ALL IN THE INGREDIENTS...We slice all our meats, cheeses and produce daily. We prepare our spreads from scratch every day. We have our bread made from scratch and delivered every morning and we choose only the finest ingredients. When you come into a ThunderCloud Sub Shop, you'll experience the creation of a great sandwich! Our People The ThunderCloud sandwich artists are notoriously good natured and famously talented. We take pride in a job well done. We believe in team work, doing a little bit more than our fair share and having fun both on and off the job. Though we have plenty of company policies to help keep the "machine" running smoothly, we think we allow enough liberties to foster individualism, self-esteem and self-pride. Our Community Each year, ThunderCloud sponsors some of the most engaging events that bring the Austin community together for meaningful causes. We have been a FRESH, FAST & HEALTHY part of Austin for 30 years. Being uniquely Austin means giving more, too! We dedicate half of our annual marketing effort to support local non-profit groups like Caritas of Austin. We believe in supporting organizations dedicated to creating a better Austin. ThunderCloud has proudly donated over $750,000 to Caritas and last year contributed $176,500. Our HomeThunderCloud is proud to be an engrained part of the Austin community. We're at home here in Austin, just like much of Austin feels comfortable and at home when they're in one of our shops.

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.