US-based Potbelly Corporation launched its first outlet in Gurugram with Kwal’s Group. According to the information shared by Kwal’s Group in press release, the Group has plans to open 20 outlets in the next five years in different cities across the country. In an exclusive chat Matt Revord, Head of International Business Development, Potbelly Corp sheds light on the brand’s expansion plans with Kwal Group for the Indian market. 

Brief us about Potbelly Sandwich Brand and its presence across the world and in India.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop is a unique brand that dates back over 40 years in the U.S.  It was actually started out as an antique shop and then the owner started selling sandwiches on the side.  Eventually that one sandwich shop grew as the word spread around that the brand is now known for serving incredible sandwiches, soups, salads and cookies. Currently, Potbelly has almost 500 units across the world in the US, UK, Canada, Kuwait and UAE. 

To bring Potbelly’s neighborhood sandwich concept to India, we have joined hands with Kwal’s Group and launched our 1^st outlet successfully in Cyber Hub, Gurugram in Dec 2017. We are known as a traditional place of gathering, warmth and friendliness in the USA and famous as “Potbelly Sandwich Shop” - the sense of gathering; warmth and friendliness are the keys to our concept. We aim to deliver the similar warmth and friendliness to all customers in many locations in India. 

After joining hands with Kwal Group to enter in the Indian market, what are your expansion plans for the region?

We are excited to partner with the Kwals Group. Their recent success with the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) in Delhi convinced us they understood how important quality and the customer experience were. We will work with Kwals Group to open additional Potbelly shops in India.

How do you compare other regions with the Indian food retail market? 

Potbelly is an incredible cult brand in the United States.  People love the toasted sandwiches, the large salads, the delicious soups and the milk shakes and cookies.  As we have expanded to other areas of the world, we are always evolving the menu to reflect local tastes and customer requests. The key to Potbelly is to serve amazing food in a great atmosphere – but that amazing food will reflect local tastes as well as US classics that our customers around the world love.