A fast-casual sandwich chain plans to expand across Delaware, with its first location expected to open this summer.
Potbelly Sandwich Works will open at 455 Middletown Warwick Rd. in Middletown under franchise owners Vipul Patel and Dharmphal Patel, who have signed a four-location deal.
“We signed up for four. We signed up for the Delaware area and part of Maryland. Our main focus will be our first store in Middletown. We want to get the foundation moving for the first one. We really want to have that strong foundation built up and then basically move on from that point,” Vipul Patel told What Now Philadelphia.
Vipul and Dharmphal selected Middletown for their first shop due to the area’s continued growth.
“We live in Middletown, so we wanted to do something close by family. Since moving to Middletown in 2019, we have seen tremendous growth in the area and a population of all kinds of ages,” Vipul said.
The duo joined the Potbelly brand to bring something new to Delaware.
“We wanted to start something in the food franchise business. We love the sandwiches there. It’s a different taste. It’s something that we have not seen in other parts of the area. It’s a blank canvas. We want to build brand awareness and bring the community together,” he said.
The new Middletown outpost will reflect Potbelly’s signature style.
The menu includes sandwiches, soups and salads, which can be combined into meal combos.
Among the shop’s signature sandwiches are the Italian, meatball hoagie, grilled cheese, pizza melt, chicken club and Vipul’s favorite, the Mediterranean chicken sandwich made with all-natural grilled chicken, feta, zesty hummus, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and cucumbers.
Both franchisees are eager to open their first location.
“Developing something of our own, that’s always been both of our end goal—quit the 9 to 5 and have our own business,” Dharmphal Patel told What Now Philadelphia.
Potbelly Sandwich Works is expected to open in late June or early July. Visit the website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
