A sandwich chain with famous hot peppers is plotting a Triangle expansion

A sandwich chain known for its toasty bread and the tingle of its hot peppers is launching a major expansion in the Triangle.

Potbelly, which currently has three locations across Durham, Morrisville and Cary, plans to open another nine sandwich shops in the Triangle over the next seven years.

The popular sandwich chain is a staple of suburban developments and has more than 400 locations in 31 states and Washington, D.C., but has only been in North Carolina since 2017. The state’s first Potbelly opened in Charlotte in February 2017, followed by the Triangle’s first a month later in Morrisville.

The Triangle Potbellys are owned by Mohit Kishore and Tulshi Bhakar. Kishore spent 25 years working in restaurants, mostly in management at McDonalds, before opening a Potbelly franchise of his own five years ago.

“I decided I would like to go into business for myself and researched different brands and Potbelly drew me in,” Kishore said. “So I started to explore the possibilities of bringing the brand to the Triangle.”

The Potbelly menu includes versions of classic sandwiches, with an Italian, a chicken club and its signature “Wreck,” which features roast beef, turkey, ham and salami. Most sandwiches pass through a conveyor belt oven, coming out toasted and melty. But Kishore, whose pick is a chicken club with grilled chicken, bacon and cheddar, said the most popular items might not be sandwiches.

“The most comments I get are about the hot peppers and the cookies,” Kishore said.

The next nine locations will be spread across Wake, Durham, Orange and Chatham counties, Kishore said. No specific spaces have been leased or finalized yet, but Kishore believes downtown Raleigh and Chapel Hill could be ideal spots, as well as suburban developments in the four counties.

“We don’t have specific locations, but will be in Wake, Durham, Orange and Chatham counties,” Kishore said in a phone interview. “The majority will be in Wake and Durham. We’re pretty much open to everything.”

Kishore expects one location to open in 2023, though exactly where remains in the works.

“We feel good about the brand and we’re excited about expanding,” Kishore said.