What's Happening in Buffalo, NY…

Potbelly, a chain of sandwich shops based in Chicago, is poised to expand into the Buffalo area, according to a September 29 news item.

The chain's vice president for domestic franchises, Mike Walters, says Buffalo has exactly the demographics Potbelly is looking for, and hopes to find operators for its stores in the city. In addition, it would like to find these franchisees as soon as possible.

In addition to Buffalo, Potbelly would like to move into the franchise markets in Syracuse, Rochester, Albany and Schenectady. Walters said the company focuses on small and medium-sized markets, which makes Buffalo and these cities a perfect fit for them.

Potbelly is publicly traded, and has more than 300 locations throughout the country. It currently has 15 stores in New York City, all of which are operated by the company itself. These stores are the only locations in a city in New York State.

Typically, a Potbelly store comprises between 1,800 and 2,400 square feet, both in suburban and urban locations; some of the stores have drive-through facilities. Potbelly wants to be known as a neighborhood store and, to that end, often uses local music in its stores.

Buffalo officials might consider working with brochure printers to create a booklet describing Potbelly's operations, and distributing it to potential operators, perhaps via the Chamber of Commerce.