Potbelly Sandwich Shop vs The Submarine Station Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
The Submarine Station Franchise
Investment $534,950 - $874,000N/A
Franchise Fee $40,000$8,000
Royalty Fee 6%$500/mo
Advertising Fee Up to 4%-
Year Founded 1977-
Year Franchised 2009-
Term Of Agreement -5 years
Term Of Agreement -5 years
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
The Submarine Station 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

 
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
The Submarine Station 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

 
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
The Submarine Station 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

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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

 
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Franchise
The Submarine Station Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion Yes-

Company Overviews

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.

About The Submarine Station

As a company grows there are three main methods of growth to choose from: sole proprietorship, joint venture, or franchising. The franchise system is an exciting model because of the common shared interest in the founding company (the Franchisor) and the small business owner (the Franchisee) that both want the system to work. The problem with most franchising models is that a Franchisee is under such stringent restrictions from the Franchisor. Understandably, the Franchisor has a huge interest in protecting the brand. This interest in protecting the brand has inherent drawbacks that now become the Franchisee's issues. A few of these drawbacks are: real estate long-term leasing or purchasing, expensive proprietary equipment, forced product price points, etc. Who pays for this in the end? Well, the Franchisee does. Who looks out for the Franchisee? The Submarine Station will!