Potbelly history

In 1995, Keil, a regular Potbelly customer and owner of a food-delivery service, approached the sandwich shop's owner to find out if the quaint place that always had a line of people out the door was for sale.

He opened the second Potbelly, at 303 W. Madison St, in 1997.

In 1999 Keil sold Room Service Deliveries to finance Potbelly's expansion plans.

Keil began planning Potbelly's first foray outside Illinois in 2000 and considered taking his sandwich concept out west to California and east to Washington, D.C. The latter choice was simple since Keil had lived there.

Several firms joined his quest in late 2001, bringing a total of $11 million in private equity into the fold.

Potbelly reigned supreme in 2002 with 11 locations in and around Chicago, each one ringing up as much as $1.3 million per unit and climbing.

By the following year, 2003, there were 30 Potbelly restaurants in Illinois, Washington, D.C. (including units in neighboring Virginia and Maryland), and newcomer Michigan.

Sales for 2004 had risen to a reported $64 million.

By 2006 Potbelly had grown to more than 110 outlets and estimated sales of $150 million.

In addition, the Potbelly in Chicago's suburb Glen Ellyn added the first "drive-thru" for customers in late 2007.

In fact, in 2011, Potbelly had the most corporate-owned sandwich shops in the country, while its other competitors like Subway have a majority of their stores franchised out.

When Johnson joined Potbelly in December 2017, the company had experienced a 3.8% decline in same-store sales for the year — an important metric of retail health that measures sales in stores open for at least 15 months.

General Manager Tim Ross, left, carries a box over his employees, while Javonne Dixon, right, finishes a sandwich for a customer, at the Potbelly on North Canal Street in the Loop on July 31, 2019. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)