Little King vs Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Little King Franchise
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
Investment $125,000 - And Up$534,950 - $874,000
Franchise Fee N/A$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

 
Little King 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

 
Little King 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

 
Little King 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

 
Little King Franchise
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
US Expansion -Yes
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion -Yes

Company Overviews

About Little King

Any Sub Shop Can Make A Sandwich... But It Takes Little King To Unlock "The Authentic Deli-Taste"
In January of 1969, Little King opened for business at 80th & Dodge in Omaha, Nebraska. The store was primarily operated and managed by Sid Wertheim and family. Since the day of inception, people fell in love with the Little King.  As Little King expanded, it grew into a chain, not only in the Omaha area, but across the country. The original franchise started with eleven sub-type sandwiches, chips and drinks. Since then, several additions have been made with sandwiches on wheat, rye, French bread, and specialty breads. Gyros, salads, soups, cookies, Rice Krispies and Brownies were added to the menu, with all breads and specialties baked fresh in our stores.  Little King changes with the tastes and requests of our customers, particularly in today's health-conscious market. Fresh food ingredients, cleanliness, and well-trained managers and staff have contributed to Little King's success. These fundamentals are critical to the proper delivery of our service and are part of the training of every Little King employee. Sub sandwich meats are carved directly in front of the customer for the freshest possible ingredients. Sid Wertheim's original procedure and "showmanship" is the same as that performed today.

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.