The Secret Messages In Every Potbelly Location
Potbelly has three "Fs" in their corporate promise — "Fresh, Fast, Friendly" — but that phrase is not one of the secret messages hidden in every Potbelly location. While the brand promises to get a customer in and out of line in eight minutes (per Thrillist), that time could be spent looking for some hidden clues around the restaurant. Although uncovering these special phrases may not earn you a cookie, the secret messages are part of the kitsch that makes Potbelly unique.
According to Thrillist, the letters "P" and "H" are placed in each location. While those letters might not instantly jump out to the naked eye, the letters do have a specific purpose. In a Chicago Tribune interview, Potbelly Chairman Bryant Keil stated "P" and "H" refer to pigs and hogs. Although many people might not want to think about the circle of life while having their lunch, Keil believes "don't skimp on serving the right amounts," which refers back to the pigs and hogs concept (via Chicago Tribune). Maybe that concept of "right amounts" depends on whether a Potbelly Wrecker or a Potbelly Skinny is a personal preference.
This Potbelly item is front and center in each location
While you might not want to think about leading your appetite to slaughter at a Potbelly location, secret messages are not the only item that is located in each location. With a nod to the company's first location in an antique shop, each Potbelly location has a Potbelly stove. Although not verified, the company believes that it might be the "World's Largest Collector of Antique Stoves" (per Thrillist).
Thinking about the potbelly stove in each location, that visual may relate back to the Potbelly's concept of "Fresh, Fast and Friendly." While people can make the joke that a potbelly can come from eating too many wrecker sandwiches, the brand believes that the stove refers to a "welcoming warmth" (via Potbelly's website). From the toasted sandwich to the freshly baked cookie, Potbelly makes no secret about its commitment to those three "Fs."
Next time you are waiting for that toasted sandwich or that shake with the little cookie on the straw, see if you can find both the secret messages and not-so secret items that are part of the Potbelly culture.