Potbelly Sandwich Works has signed a development agreement with BD Patel, Bhavesh Patel and Mihir Patel to open 10 shops across Central Florida, with the first locations planned for Northeast Orlando and nearby communities. The family intends to expand from there into residential neighborhoods, business districts and university communities throughout the region, and has already outlined plans for additional shops in Gainesville.
The deal, first reported by fastcasual.com, adds another multi-unit franchisee to a Central Florida pipeline that already includes Sugarland Investment Group's 12-unit Orlando commitment, which opened its first shop on East Colonial Drive in January 2024, according to Restaurant Business. Sugarland has also filed permits for locations in Winter Park and St. Cloud, a project Hoodline previously covered in its report on the toasty new US-192 shop.
A Franchise Family With Deep Roots
BD Patel brings more than 30 years of franchise experience to the deal, having developed and operated units for Dunkin', Quiznos and Mooyah Burgers, and having served on franchise advisory councils, per the seed report. He described the family's decision as rooted in finding a brand with long-term growth potential and genuine customer appeal, and said the family recognized Potbelly's brand strength, proven operating model and opportunity to grow alongside thriving communities.
His fellow investors bring their own backgrounds to the venture. Mihir Patel moved from a career in information technology into hospitality and owns a franchised hotel, while Bhavesh Patel has operational leadership experience scaling his family's convenience store business. Bhavesh Patel and his wife became regular Potbelly customers while attending the University of Cincinnati, where they first grew familiar with the sandwich chain.
Corporate Sees a Strong Fit
Jennifer Durham, Potbelly's senior vice president of franchising and development, said the Patels are approaching development with a community-first mindset. She added that the family's combined franchise leadership, hospitality and business ownership experience made them a strong fit for the company's regional growth plans.
Potbelly already has more than 10 shops open in Florida and has planned more than 54 additional Florida locations under existing development agreements, with future growth outlined in Tampa, Sarasota-Bradenton, Fort Myers-Naples, Broward County, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Panama City Beach. The chain's Tampa presence includes an 18-unit commitment from franchisee Ron Asmar's RTA Restaurant Group, one of the earliest successful Florida markets ahead of the Orlando push.
A Chain Scaling Fast Under New Ownership
The Central Florida deal lands amid a broader structural shift for Potbelly. In October 2025, convenience-store operator RaceTrac completed a roughly $566 million all-cash acquisition of Potbelly, converting the publicly traded sandwich chain into a private RaceTrac subsidiary, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores. RaceTrac, which operates more than 800 c-stores across 14 states, has been supplying real estate and development support as Potbelly pushes toward a long-term goal of 2,000 locations nationwide, up from around 450 today.
Potbelly operates more than 470 shops nationwide and is working toward its 500th location, with the chain projecting to pass that milestone in 2026 and open roughly 50 new shops this year and 100 more in 2027, according to Potbelly's franchising blog. Systemwide average unit volume has reached approximately $1.3 million per shop, with digital ordering through the company's website, app and Perks rewards program accounting for more than 40% of total transactions.
To make expansion easier on franchisees, Potbelly introduced an 1,800-square-foot store prototype, 500 square feet smaller than traditional units, designed around pickup shelves and digital backline operations, per Restaurant Dive. The company also launched a 50/50 Large Area Developer Incentive Program in March 2025, offering multi-unit franchisees who commit to 15 or more shops over eight years a 50% discount on royalty fees for units opened ahead of schedule.
Potbelly, which was founded in Chicago in 1977, is approaching its 50th anniversary in 2027. The chain has been recognized on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 list, Yelp's fastest-growing brands ranking, and Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers list, honors that underscore the momentum fueling deals like the Patel family's 10-shop Central Florida commitment.
