Potbelly Co.

JOLIET, IL — Years ago, a member of the Joliet Police Department told Joliet Patch to pay close attention in that for every new restaurant that opens around Joliet, another one closes. But maybe it's the other way around. After all, Joliet just saw its only west side Pop's Italian Beef go out of business at 1866 West Jefferson Street, over near Larkin Avenue. However, there is no time for despair. That's because Joliet's foodies began rejoicing and sharing the great news on Tuesday that Joliet's first Fry The Coop chicken restaurant just opened for business. Fry The Coop replaced the Mooyah Burger in the same brick restaurant building as the Chipotle Mexican Grill and Pot Belly Sandwich Shop, at 2611 West Jefferson Street. "Yes, our chicken is 100 percent Halal certified," the Fry The Coop website explained. "However, we fry all our chicken and fries in beef fat. Unfortunately, that beef fat is not Halal. Currently, Halal certified beef fat does not exist in large quantities for restaurants. We have looked everywhere! When it is accessible, we will make it happen, but that may not be for 2-5 years." You are probably wondering, will Joliet residents flock to Fry The Coop by the thousands? After all, every time a new fast-food restaurant in Joliet opens, practically everyone has to rush out to the new restaurant on the first or second day that it opens, rather than wait a couple weeks for the hype and buzz to subside. Another question you're probably thinking about concerns the potential for traffic congestion along West Jefferson Street. Will the customer lines at the new Fry The Coop become so enormous that the Joliet Police Department will be summoned to help direct traffic in and out of the new restaurant? So, what exactly is Fry The Coop? Joliet Patch reported back in March that the menu for Fry The Coop restaurant features the following items:» Mehr auf patch.com

Potbelly's stock surged 18% on May 7, marking a 40% increase since my initial recommendation, driven by strong same-store sales growth and effective engagement initiatives like Potbelly Perks. Despite a challenging Q4, Potbelly's Q1 FY 2025 results exceeded expectations with 0.9% same-store sales growth, boosted by new menu items and value promotions. Potbelly's expansion strategy includes opening 38 new locations in FY 2025, aiming for 2,000 U.S. locations, supported by a healthy balance sheet and low debt.» Mehr auf seekingalpha.com

Potbelly delivered +0.9% company-operated same-store sales in Q1 2025, beating its guidance for -1.5% to -0.5%. Potbelly's guidance had included a 1.5% negative impact from winter weather. Potbelly's adjusted EBITDA performance also exceeded expectations.» Mehr auf seekingalpha.com