Potbelly Corp. has completed a 40-unit agreement with Royal Restaurant Group, a national franchise group that owns 24 Burger King restaurants in the Jacksonville, Florida area. The deal involves the development of 36 Potbelly shops in Ohio and Florida, as well as the refranchising of four locations in the Columbus, Ohio region.

"We're delighted to have Royal Restaurant Group join the Potbelly system and further our growth in several key areas of the U.S.," Bob Wright, president and CEO of Potbelly, said in a company press release. "The Royal Restaurant Group team knows what it takes to successfully develop and operate franchise locations for large-scale restaurant brands, and they share our values of leading with respect and integrity while prioritizing high-quality and great customer service. I have no doubt their expertise will benefit our company and help support our long-term goals."

As part of Potbelly's Franchise Growth Acceleration Initiative, it has a long-term goal of reaching 2,000 shops, with at least 85% of those locations being franchised.

"We've always been fans of Potbelly, and we're thrilled to be formally working together with the team as we bring the brand to new areas of the country," Randy Pianin, co-founder and CEO of Royal Restaurant Group, said in the release. "Our first priority at any of our restaurants is to establish a strong foundation centered around quality, taste and value. We look forward to serving up Potbelly's iconic toasted sandwiches, soups and cookies to more diners and continuing the brand's tradition of providing excellent service and atmosphere in the years ahead."

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