Victory: Uptown lands Charlotte’s first Potbelly Sandwich Shop

Well, now we know what’s replacing it and I couldn’t be happier.

The replacement, ladies and gentlemen, is Potbelly Sandwich Shop. For those who don’t know (my Northerners are with me in my saying this) it is an incredible sandwich shop in the vein of Firehouse, Jersey Mike’s and Which Wich — but ohhhhh so much better.

Now before everyone gets up in arms over “another chain” coming to Uptown, relax.

Even if you prefer something local, from a Charlotte growth perspective this is a very good thing. Trendy/quality chains are necessary in a major downtown area and Potbelly is that and more. Potbelly has a great reputation in the markets that it serves and it’s a huge positive they see the Uptown market as a sustainable (and viable) market for them to be in.

Think about this scenario (one that will be common). You have a bank exec in town from up north who loves Potbelly. They stick with what they know and on the first day of their business trip they come down to Latta Arcade and grab Potbelly. Well that drew him/her to the area, and we all know that Latta Arcade/Brevard Court is fantastic and once you get there you love it. So on day two and beyond, that exec won’t get Potbelly but could very well patronize the local businesses in the area.

Potbelly is the draw, the brand name recognition that will continue to help Uptown evolve into a real big city.

Furthermore, the hours (likely open until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.) will also add weight to Uptown not being a shutdown ghost town after work hours during the weekday. Add to that it will have some cool signage and interiors on a highly visible storefront on Tryon.

There is a big difference in chains when comparing Potbelly to an Applebee’s (or something along those lines). Yes, it may be a chain, but it’s a fantastic chain.

So all the chain defense aside, this is very exciting. Currently they are shooting for a November opening.

Cover image via Facebook