Potbelly Sandwich Works has officially entered the Georgia market, opening its first restaurant in the state and beginning what could become a much larger expansion throughout metro Atlanta.

The sandwich chain opened its first Georgia location on September 1 at Peachtree Station Shopping Center in Chamblee, just outside Atlanta. The company-owned restaurant represents the first step in a broader strategy combining corporate and franchised locations across the region. (Restaurant Dive)

RaceTrac Brings Potbelly to Its Home Market

The Georgia expansion is particularly notable because Atlanta is the home market of RaceTrac, which acquired Potbelly in 2025. Potbelly says the acquisition positions the sandwich concept for accelerated growth while maintaining its neighborhood-oriented format. (Potbelly)

RaceTrac’s ownership could also create new opportunities for Potbelly outside traditional restaurant locations. A Potbelly inside a RaceTrac location in Atlanta is expected to open in the near future, although the company has indicated that convenience-store locations will be selective rather than the primary focus of its expansion strategy. (Restaurant Dive)

At Least 15 Atlanta-Area Restaurants Planned

The Chamblee opening is only the beginning. Potbelly previously entered into an agreement with Royal Restaurant Group to develop 15 restaurants throughout the greater Atlanta market over seven years. Confirmed expansion includes Cumming, while additional locations are being evaluated throughout Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett counties. (ajc)

The Georgia expansion is part of a much larger national growth strategy. Potbelly expects to surpass 500 restaurants, with 55 franchised and three company-owned openings projected for 2026. Its longer-term objective is significantly larger: approximately 2,000 locations nationwide. (Restaurant Dive)

A Commercial Real Estate Opportunity

For commercial real estate owners and developers, Potbelly’s expansion provides another tenant to watch throughout Georgia and the Southeast.

The brand has a relatively flexible real estate model. In regulatory filings, Potbelly has said it evaluates locations based on factors including daytime population, visibility, traffic and accessibility, while its restaurant format can accommodate different sizes, shapes and property types. (Potbelly Investors)

That flexibility could make the concept a candidate for shopping-center space, endcaps, freestanding locations and select nontraditional sites as the company expands.

Potbelly is also moving beyond Georgia. The company has announced a 10-unit development agreement targeting Orlando and Gainesville, and more than 54 Potbelly restaurants are currently under development across Florida. (Restaurant Dive)

Another Growing Restaurant Brand to Watch

Potbelly’s arrival in Georgia demonstrates how restaurant brands continue to target high-growth Sun Belt markets, particularly metropolitan areas experiencing strong population and employment growth.

RaceTrac’s ownership adds another dimension to that expansion. With an established operating presence and real estate footprint throughout the Southeast, the combination could help Potbelly identify new markets and accelerate its rollout.

For landowners, shopping-center owners, developers and commercial real estate professionals, the company’s aggressive expansion goals make Potbelly a brand worth tracking as it searches for additional locations across Georgia, Florida and other growth markets.

Extended Reach USA continues to follow restaurant expansion, retail development, land transactions and commercial real estate growth throughout Florida and the Southeast.