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More than a year after Potbelly Sandwich Shop announced plans to enter the Northeast Florida market, work is set to begin on the popular Chicago-based chain’s first restaurant.
The City of Jacksonville issued a permit Tuesday, Aug. 5, for the restaurant at 9908 Old Baymeadows Road in Deerwood Village shopping center, where Publix is building a new, modern grocery store to replace the 50-year-old store it was permitted to demolish late last year.
The restaurant will take over the former 1,536-square-foot space occupied by Subway. Other restaurants at the retail center include Wingstop, Scramblers, Kyuramen, Mandaloun Mediterranean Cuisine, Panda Express, Jimmy John's and more.
Known for its toasty sandwiches and hand-scooped shakes, the restaurant is the first of as many as seven potential restaurants in the Jacksonville area under franchisee Patrick Prendergast.
The restaurant’s menu features a lineup of hearty sandwiches made with quality ingredients, salads and sides, including macaroni and cheese, chicken pot pie, and soups, including broccoli cheddar, garden vegetable and loaded baked potato.
Among Potbelly’s popular sandwiches are:
For breakfast, available until 10 a.m., Potbelly offers Bacon Egg & Cheddar, Sausage Egg & Cheddar and Ham Mushroom Egg & Swiss sandwiches.
And for your sweet tooth, there’s a selection of cookies baked fresh daily and hand-dipped shakes.
Potbelly, which has more than 425 restaurants across 30 states, made its Florida debut in Tampa in June 2021. Since then, the chain has opened 10 other restaurants in the Sunshine State, including eight in the last year, expanding to Fort Myers, St. Petersburg, Lady Lake, Davenport, Largo, Davie, Sarasota and elsewhere. More are in development.
Founded in an antique shop in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood in 1977, Potbelly — which describes itself as “a first-class dive” — takes its name from the potbelly stove, a symbol of “warmth and goof vibes,” according to the company’s website.