Dive Brief:
- Potbelly is adding wraps to its core menu beginning Oct. 13, the company said in a press release emailed to Restaurant Dive.
- The fast casual chain added two signature wraps: the Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap and Southwest Avo Chicken Wrap. Any sandwich can also become a wrap, Potbelly said.
- Potbelly has leaned heavily on menu innovation over the past year, which continued to be a topline performance driver in the second quarter, CEO Bob Wright said during an August earnings call. Same-store sales were up by 3.2% during the second quarter.
Dive Insight:
Potbelly’s menu innovation has been particularly successful in driving traffic and guest satisfaction, as well. Potbelly added its first steak sandwich to the core menu in mid-April and received positive customer feedback, Wright said. In 2024, it added a slow-cooked pulled pork sandwich.
Potbelly also enhanced other aspects of its menu, such as a July launch of Potbelly-branded Hot Pepper potato chips through a partnership with Zapp’s. Last fall, the chain upgraded salad dressings with Marzetti and added Tractor Beverages to the menu.
“Our approach to menu innovations remain integral to our 3-part value delivery,” Wright said in August. “The intrinsic value of our core menu is all the better with these exciting new menu items, quality upgrades and flavor enhancements.”
The addition of lavash flatbread wraps will also make it more competitive against Subway and Jimmy John’s, which added wraps in 2024 and 2023, respectively. Its menu additions have typically been adjacent to its core menu and are within the realm of items that research has indicated that fast casual and Potbelly customers want, Wright said.
“These wraps are a bold new twist to our menu,” said David Daniels, chief marketing officer at Potbelly. “We’ve been working on them to ensure they deliver all the flavor and satisfaction of our classic sandwiches, and early tests show our fans love them.”
