Multi-Unit Franchisees Bring a Midwest Favorite to Sunny Florida
Coming from a family of franchisees, Ronnie and Randy Asmar have found fast-casual industry success with Potbelly. The brothers’ belief in the Potbelly brand has driven these young entrepreneurs to bring the hottest sandwiches in fast-casual to food lovers throughout Florida.
Prior to franchising with Potbelly, the Asmars operated dozens of QSR franchises in their home state of Michigan. While their franchises were successful, they kept a specific brand in the back of their minds. As students at the University of Michigan, the Asmars’ favorite on-campus eatery was Potbelly. “We ate there all the time,” says Randy. “We always knew we wanted to franchise
with them.”
Exploring New Franchise Frontiers
Two weeks after learning that Potbelly had opened up to franchising, the brothers went to Chicago to begin the franchise process. They saw opportunity to expand the Potbelly reach outside of their home market of Michigan, where the brand already had a well-established presence.
The Asmars were familiar with the Tampa Bay market, having some family business in the area, and they knew that it was the right place to expand Potbelly. Many Florida residents relocate from cold northern states, including the Midwest. Understanding how beloved Potbelly is back home, they sensed an opportunity. As one of the brand’s first franchisees, the brothers established the first Potbelly restaurant in Florida.
Franchisee-Focused Support
Through perseverance and commitment, the Asmar brothers’ first Florida location opened in June of 2022. Since then, they’ve opened three more restaurants in the Tampa area, with three additional locations opening in Q4 of 2024 and a total of 20 units across the Sunshine State scheduled to open by 2027.
Potbelly’s flexible designs have helped the Asmars secure real estate in locations where space was tougher to find. Their newest location in Largo features Potbelly’s small-format prototype. Ronnie Asmar credits the Potbelly corporate team’s people-first culture for their success in growing and developing their restaurants: “In every department, they’ve done a great job with support. Potbelly’s leadership is genuinely curious about not only the day-to-day at our locations, but also our real lives. It’s helped us experience an immense amount of growth.”
Potbelly: A Taste of Home
The brothers’ bet on the Midwest’s love for Potbelly paid off. Floridians have fallen in love with Potbelly’s high-quality menu items and toasted sandwiches, but it’s the Asmars’ fellow Midwesterners who are most excited to find that their favorite first-class dive from back home has opened up in their neighborhood. “Snowbirds from the Midwest are so excited to see Potbelly,” says Ronnie. “There’s a lot of brand loyalty.”
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Potbelly Sandwich Works
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