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.
The company’s corporate profile shifted in 2025 when RaceTrac agreed to acquire Potbelly, a transaction detailed by the Associated Press. Industry analysts say the convenience-store owner’s resources could open up new real-estate and distribution opportunities for the sandwich brand, although franchise growth on the ground still unfolds site by site. For Valley neighborhoods, that means the deal may speed up possibilities but does not erase the usual permitting, leasing and construction slog.
Where the Valley Shops Might Land
Potbelly has already signed other multi-unit deals in the Phoenix market. A 2025 company release announced a separate five-shop development agreement for the area, per GlobeNewswire, underscoring that the region remains attractive to multi-unit franchisees. Local reporting and recent openings tracked by Hoodline show Potbelly often zeroes in on compact inline spaces in shopping centers and mixed-use projects. Those smaller, neighborhood-scale storefronts tend to plug into busy lunch corridors and near-office retail strips.
What to Expect and the Timeline
Potbelly’s franchising site notes that franchisees typically get a first shop open in about 12 months and that multi-unit operators are encouraged to stagger their openings. That timing lines up with the 2027 window reported for some of the new Valley locations. In practice, Walker’s five-shop agreement is likely to roll out in phases as permits move through city halls and build-outs wrap up. For anyone trying to guess the next Potbelly address, local permit databases and retail leasing listings will offer the earliest clues.
