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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Donatos Pizza vs Potbelly Sandwich Works

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Donatos Pizza2026 FDDPotbelly Sandwich Works2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Donatos Pizza

    $546,637 – $1,090,537

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    Not available

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Donatos Pizza

    Not available

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Donatos Pizza

    Not available

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    $50

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Donatos Pizza discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Donatos Pizza: 11, Potbelly Sandwich Works: 55). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Donatos Pizza

    $546,637 – $1,090,537
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    Not available
    No reviewed Item 7 total
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Donatos Pizza

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Donatos Pizza

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    $50
    000, (2) temporarily reduce the Royalty percentage payable for that Potbelly Shop by — 50%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Donatos Pizza

    4%
    Cooperativemarketing maximum — 4%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    3%
    ype of fee 1 Column 2 Amount Column 3 Due Date Column 4 Remarks Brand Fund Currently — 3% — 3%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Donatos Pizza

    179
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 79

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    940
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 75
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Donatos Pizza

    −75
    Calculated: 254 at end of 2023 → 179 at end of 2025

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    +90
    Calculated: 850 at end of 2023 → 940 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Donatos Pizza

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Donatos Pizza

    1991
    From a verified franchisor listing

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    2009
    From a verified franchisor listing
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Donatos Pizza

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Potbelly Sandwich Works

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Donatos Pizza
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All covered
    $2,492,132
    other All covered High
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-owned
    $2,384,141
    other Company-owned High
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchise-owned
    $2,476,922
    other Franchise-owned High
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 74
    +8 more groups in the full report
    Potbelly Sandwich Works
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Systemwide franchised+affiliate — Suburban
    270 shops
    other Systemwide franchised+affiliate 2025 Suburban
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Systemwide franchised+affiliate — Urban
    54 shops
    other Systemwide franchised+affiliate 2025 Urban
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Systemwide franchised+affiliate — All Shops
    415 shops
    other Systemwide franchised+affiliate 2024 All Shops
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73
    +52 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Donatos Pizza vs Potbelly Sandwich Works: common questions

    Which has more locations, Donatos Pizza or Potbelly Sandwich Works?
    Donatos Pizza: 179 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 79); Potbelly Sandwich Works: 940 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 75). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Donatos Pizza and Potbelly Sandwich Works disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Donatos Pizza has reviewed Item 19 figures for 11 location groups; Potbelly Sandwich Works has reviewed Item 19 figures for 55 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Donatos Pizza report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Potbelly Sandwich Works report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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