Potbelly Sandwich Works plans to open three more restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee counties by early 2027, expanding from its existing Sarasota location to four shops in the two-county market.

The first of the three, at the Fruitville Farms shopping center off Fruitville Road in Sarasota County, is expected to open before the end of 2026, the Business Observer first reported. Two more locations are targeted for early 2027 in Bayshore Gardens and SeaFlower, both in Manatee County.

Three new leases span Sarasota and Manatee

Bradenton-based SVN Commercial Advisory Group brokered all three leases. Senior advisors Matt Fenske and Tony Veldkamp represented Potbelly in the deals and also handled the chain's existing lease at Sarasota Medical Center on U.S. 41.

"We're continuing to evaluate opportunities that complement these locations and support the company's long-term expansion," Fenske said in a statement to the Business Observer.

The Fruitville Farms development is east of Interstate 75 near Sarasota County's new Administration Center at 1 Apex Road. It is the same commercial hub where Chicken Salad Chick opened Tuesday, Sept. 29, with Playa Bowls and Patsy's Pizzeria also slated for the development.

Potbelly seeks more local sites

Potbelly started in Chicago in 1977 and now has more than 450 locations across the United States, selling oven-toasted sandwiches, soups, salads, cookies and shakes.

Fenske and Veldkamp said they are pursuing additional Class A retail spaces for Potbelly in the Sarasota-Manatee market, targeting storefronts between 1,800 and 2,400 square feet.

First Sarasota shop opened in 2025

Potbelly opened its first Sarasota location May 22, 2025, at 1635 S. Tamiami Trail, across from Sarasota Memorial Hospital, in a space that previously housed Tijuana Flats. That shop is owned and operated by Randy Pianin, CEO of West Palm Beach-based Royal Restaurant Group, which at the time ran five Potbelly shops in central Ohio and dozens of Burger King restaurants on the East Coast, Your Observer reported.

Royal Restaurant Group signed a 40-unit franchise agreement with Potbelly Corporation in October 2023, covering 36 new shops in Ohio and Florida, according to a company press release. No source confirms whether the three new Sarasota-Manatee leases fall under that agreement or involve a different franchisee.