Potbelly - Chicago's favorite sandwich shop comes to Dubai

21 Feb 2011

Middle East debut for US favourite - homemade freshness and goodness now just a bite away

Fans of Potbelly Sandwich Shop need to wait no longer as Chicago's favourite sandwich shop officially opened its doors in the Middle East this week with two shops in Dubai, located at The Dubai Mall and Deira City Centre.

Operated by M.H. Alshaya, the new shops bring the same Potbelly freshness and goodness to Dubai that customers in the US have come to love and the menu is designed to satisfy an even wider variety of cravings. Crisp made-to-order salads, freshly-baked cookies like the customer favourite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie and hand-dipped shakes and non-fat frozen yoghurt smoothies are now available from 10 am till 12 midnight.

Commenting on the arrival of Potbelly in the region, Aylwin Lewis, Potbelly President and CEO said: "We welcome the opportunity to bring Potbelly Sandwich Shop to Dubai. Alshaya is an outstanding company and a proven operator of leading brands in the Middle East. We believe our awesome products, people and place translate well to all neighbourhoods across the world. Our goal is to become a global iconic brand and Alshaya is helping us make that a reality."

"We are very excited to be introducing the Potbelly Sandwich Shop brand to the Middle East," added Mohammed Alshaya, Executive Chairman of M.H. Alshaya. "Potbelly customers are people who are passionate about good, fresh food and we know that the brand will thrive here. With two locations opened this month and more in the pipeline we look forward to introducing a growing number of Middle East consumers to the Potbelly experience."

Both of the new Dubai outlets feature the legendary toasty warm Potbelly sandwiches like - The "Wreck" made with premium roast beef, salami, oven-roasted turkey breast, smoked turkey ham and melted Swiss cheese. But that same Potbelly freshness and goodness remains to this day for customers in every shop in every neighbourhood.

Other all-time Potbelly favourites now available to Dubai customers include made-to-order salads with a wide choice of Potbelly meats and cheeses and fresh salad ingredients such as roasted red peppers, crumbled blue cheese, cranberries, walnuts, and homemade croutons all on crisp romaine lettuce; soups loaded with vegetables; and real ice cream milkshakes that are served with a butter cookie on the straw.

At Potbelly, customers get the chance to create their sandwiches or other meal choices exactly the way they prefer. They can opt for 'Thin-Cut' bread - where a third of the bread is removed; leave off the mayo; or load up on lettuce, tomatoes, sliced pickle, or fiery Potbelly Hot Peppers, the choices are endless. With everything prepared upon order, Potbelly can satisfy every customer – whatever their culinary mood.

The Potbelly experience is made all the more special thanks to the décor and the friendly and lively service of its staff. Each store features a traditional potbelly stove and decorative memorabilia such as vintage signs, music mementoes and sepia-tinted photographs reflecting the brand's original roots as an antique store in Chicago, that offered sandwiches and salads on the side. Adding to the authentic ambience is a regular line-up of musicians who serenade customers with live performances every weekend.

About Potbelly Sandwich Shop

From its humble beginnings as a small antique store on Chicago's North Side, Potbelly has grown from one shop in the United States to more than 200 shops serving neighbourhoods in 12 states and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Potbelly's unique experience is defined by its combination of toasty warm sandwiches, hand-dipped shakes, tasty made-to-order salads, eclectic décor, live local music, as well as friendly and lively people. Potbelly has built a passionate, loyal following of fans that spread the word about the fun, energetic atmosphere and great food. For more information visit the company's website at www.potbelly.com.