Potbelly is gearing up for a bigger bite of the Phoenix metro, after a Scottsdale entrepreneur signed a development deal to plant five of the Chicago-born sandwich shops in Mesa and Scottsdale. The agreement is one of several multi-unit commitments that have been pulling the brand deeper into Sun Belt and Valley markets in recent months. Over the next year, residents can expect the usual early tells of expansion: construction permits, leasing notices and new tenant signs quietly popping up around town.
According to the Phoenix Business Journal, Scottsdale entrepreneur Andrew Walker has inked the five-unit development agreement to open Potbelly locations in Mesa and Scottsdale. The outlet reports that at least some of those new shops are expected to open in 2027.
Potbelly has been leaning on franchising as its main growth engine, and industry coverage says the chain is targeting roughly 50 new shops in 2026, per Fast Casual. Company materials also highlight multi-unit commitments and development-area agreements as a way to scale quickly, according to Potbelly. That build-out strategy has helped create a steady pipeline of local operators scouting inline shopping-center spaces and downtown pad sites…