Latest news with #Potbelly
Globe and Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Potbelly Corporation to Participate in Two Upcoming Investor Conferences
CHICAGO, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Potbelly Corporation (NASDAQ: PBPB) ('Potbelly' or the 'Company'), the iconic neighborhood sandwich shop concept, today announced that Bob Wright, President and Chief Executive Officer, Steve Cirulis, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Adam Noyes, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, will participate in two upcoming investor conferences. On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, the Company will hold one-on-one meetings with investors at the Craig-Hallum 22 nd Annual Institutional Investor Conference in Minneapolis, MN. On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, the Company will be presenting at the William Blair 45th Annual Growth Stock Conference in Chicago, IL. Potbelly's presentation will begin at 4:40 PM Central Time and will be webcast live from the Company's Investor Relations website at under the 'Events and Presentation' section. The Company will also hold one-on-one meetings with investors during the conference. About Potbelly Potbelly Corporation is a neighborhood sandwich concept that has been feeding customers' smiles with warm, toasty sandwiches, signature salads, hand-dipped shakes and other fresh menu items, customized just the way customers want them, for more than 40 years. Potbelly promises Fresh, Fast & Friendly service in an environment that reflects the local neighborhood. Since opening its first shop in Chicago in 1977, Potbelly has expanded to neighborhoods across the country - with more than 440 shops in the United States including more than 90 franchised shops in the United States. For more information, please visit our website at
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Q1 Earnings Outperformers: CAVA (NYSE:CAVA) And The Rest Of The Modern Fast Food Stocks
Let's dig into the relative performance of CAVA (NYSE:CAVA) and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q1 modern fast food earnings season. Modern fast food is a relatively newer category representing a middle ground between traditional fast food and sit-down restaurants. These establishments feature an expanded menu selection priced above traditional fast food options, often incorporating fresher and cleaner ingredients to serve customers prioritizing quality. These eateries are capitalizing on the perception that your drive-through burger and fries joint is detrimental to your health because of inferior ingredients. The 7 modern fast food stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts' consensus estimates. Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 5.3% on average since the latest earnings results. Starting from a single Washington, D.C. location, CAVA (NYSE:CAVA) operates a fast-casual restaurant chain offering customizable Mediterranean-inspired dishes. CAVA reported revenues of $331.8 million, up 28.1% year on year. This print exceeded analysts' expectations by 1.2%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts' EPS estimates and a decent beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates. "In spite of economic uncertainty and challenging weather, CAVA's first quarter results demonstrate the continued strength of our category-defining brand,' said Brett Schulman, Co-Founder and CEO. CAVA pulled off the fastest revenue growth of the whole group. Investor expectations, however, were likely higher than Wall Street's published projections, leaving some wishing for even better results (analysts' consensus estimates are those published by big banks and advisory firms, not the investors who make buy and sell decisions). The stock is down 14.8% since reporting and currently trades at $84.55. Is now the time to buy CAVA? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. With a unique origin story where the company actually started as an antique shop, Potbelly (NASDAQ:PBPB) today is a chain known for its toasty sandwiches. Potbelly reported revenues of $113.7 million, up 2.3% year on year, outperforming analysts' expectations by 1.7%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts' EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates. Potbelly pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 21.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $10.35. Is now the time to buy Potbelly? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. Started as a hot dog cart in New York City's Madison Square Park, Shake Shack (NYSE:SHAK) is a fast-food restaurant known for its burgers and milkshakes. Shake Shack reported revenues of $320.9 million, up 10.5% year on year, falling short of analysts' expectations by 2%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a miss of analysts' same-store sales and EBITDA estimates. Interestingly, the stock is up 33.6% since the results and currently trades at $117.28. Read our full analysis of Shake Shack's results here. Born from a desire to offer quick meals with fresh, flavorful ingredients, Chipotle (NYSE:CMG) is a fast-food chain known for its healthy, Mexican-inspired cuisine and customizable dishes. Chipotle reported revenues of $2.88 billion, up 6.4% year on year. This print missed analysts' expectations by 2.1%. It was a slower quarter as it also logged a miss of analysts' same-store sales estimates. Chipotle had the weakest performance against analyst estimates among its peers. The stock is up 4.2% since reporting and currently trades at $50.75. Read our full, actionable report on Chipotle here, it's free. Founded in 2007 by three Georgetown University alum, Sweetgreen (NYSE:SG) is a casual quick service chain known for its healthy salads and bowls. Sweetgreen reported revenues of $166.3 million, up 5.4% year on year. This result surpassed analysts' expectations by 0.9%. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates. Sweetgreen had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 26.5% since reporting and currently trades at $13.36. Read our full, actionable report on Sweetgreen here, it's free. As a result of the Fed's rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed's 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025. Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Join Paid Stock Investor Research Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Axios
20-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Selling steak from a vending machine
Steak is showing up in some odd places these days. The latest: Just weeks after Potbelly launched a prime rib sandwich, Chicago's Farmer's Fridge is selling steak from a vending machine — albeit in a salad. What they're saying: "We're seeing a moment for peak protein demand and want to give our customers what they're craving," Farmers Fridge CEO Luke Saunders tells Axios. "We know there are people who are skeptical about trying fresh food from a vending machine. Now we're asking them to go a step further and order steak." Between the lines: This Steakhouse Chopped salad ($13) arrives at a time when the nation is returning to meat despite big bets over the last decade on plant-based alternatives. Zoom in: The salad combines mixed lettuce and Napa cabbage with roasted potatoes, balsamic caramelized onions and shaved Parmesan, drizzled with Caesar dressing and topped with crispy fried onions and tender, medium-rare cubes of seared flank steak. The verdict: I love how the rich blend of steak, potatoes, onions and parm plays off the freshness of the greens and crunchy accent of the onions. This feels like a full meal. The caveat: Farmer's Fridge just started rolling these salads out last week, and they're not super easy to find. Full disclosure: Last week, I had to ask a company spokesperson to help me locate a steak salad near me. I nabbed one in the U.S. Customs House on South Canal, where I had to go through a federal security check to get to the machine. The salad costs $13 at most locations, but prices can vary in hot spots like airports. What's next: Farmers Fridge reps say the salads will gradually become more ubiquitous, but, for now, it's best to use the company's app to see if the machine near you has one.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CAVA Earnings: What To Look For From CAVA
Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain CAVA (NYSE:CAVA) will be announcing earnings results tomorrow after market hours. Here's what investors should know. CAVA beat analysts' revenue expectations by 2.2% last quarter, reporting revenues of $227.4 million, up 28.3% year on year. It was a very strong quarter for the company, with an impressive beat of analysts' EPS and same-store sales estimates. Is CAVA a buy or sell going into earnings? Read our full analysis here, it's free. This quarter, analysts are expecting CAVA's revenue to grow 26.5% year on year to $327.7 million, slowing from the 27.5% increase it recorded in the same quarter last year. Adjusted earnings are expected to come in at $0.15 per share. Analysts covering the company have generally reconfirmed their estimates over the last 30 days, suggesting they anticipate the business to stay the course heading into earnings. CAVA has missed Wall Street's revenue estimates twice over the last two years. Looking at CAVA's peers in the modern fast food segment, some have already reported their Q1 results, giving us a hint as to what we can expect. Potbelly delivered year-on-year revenue growth of 2.3%, beating analysts' expectations by 1.7%, and Wingstop reported revenues up 17.4%, in line with consensus estimates. Potbelly traded up 18.3% following the results while Wingstop was also up 12.7%. Read our full analysis of Potbelly's results here and Wingstop's results here. There has been positive sentiment among investors in the modern fast food segment, with share prices up 12.7% on average over the last month. CAVA is up 13.4% during the same time and is heading into earnings with an average analyst price target of $114.30 (compared to the current share price of $100.20). Here at StockStory, we certainly understand the potential of thematic investing. Diverse winners from Microsoft (MSFT) to Alphabet (GOOG), Coca-Cola (KO) to Monster Beverage (MNST) could all have been identified as promising growth stories with a megatrend driving the growth. So, in that spirit, we've identified a relatively under-the-radar profitable growth stock benefiting from the rise of AI, available to you FREE via this link. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Potbelly harnessed transformational growth
This story was originally published on Restaurant Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Restaurant Dive newsletter. Five years ago, when Bob Wright became CEO at Potbelly, the sandwich chain was struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. But after following a five-pillar strategy, which includes boosting franchised development and increasing digital brand awareness, Wright says Potbelly is now firmly in the growth category. 'The point is that … it was all pointed toward growth, topline growth, margin expansion, profitability growth and compound growth on growth,' Wright said, adding that much of this has been driven by the chain's pivot to open new units predominantly through franchising. Potbelly posted a company-owned same-store sales increase of 0.9% during Q1 2025, joining brands like Chili's that have used successful turnaround strategies to grow sales and traffic at a time when many restaurants are struggling. Potbelly now has 444 open units and more than 300 commitments following the signing of 40 additional units during the quarter, according to an earnings release. The chain opened four units during the quarter and is on track to add 38 units total by the end of the year, which would represent single-digit percentage growth. New unit growth is likely to accelerate next year as well, as franchisees build out committed units. Several ongoing initiatives that have helped drive both franchisee interest and customer engagement include menu innovation, like the permanent addition of a Prime Rib Steak Sandwich; digital growth through its app and loyalty program, Potbelly Perks; and investments in technology and store remodels. 'Our finish to the first quarter continued to showcase Potbelly as the growth company that we've become,' Wright said during the company's Q1 2025 earnings call. 'We delivered system-wide sales growth, positive same-store sales, growth in our franchising efforts as well as another quarter of strong profitability.' Within the past six months, Potbelly added a Pulled Pork sandwich, Prime Rib Steak sandwich, drinks from Tractor Beverage, a banana pudding shake and chili mac and cheese to its core menu. Potbelly spent nine months developing its steak sandwich in response to customer demand for the menu item. Creating that sandwich required sourcing steak that worked with Potbelly's method of cooking its sandwiches in a 500-degree oven. The sandwich, which includes melted Swiss cheese, carmelized onions and roasted garlic aioli, has already received strong customer reception, Wright said during the company's earnings call. While Potbelly has focused on its core menu over the last six to nine months, the brand continues to offer LTOs to test new flavors that could eventually join the permanent menu, Wright told Restaurant Dive. That happened with its Cubano, which was an LTO for three times before it moved to the core menu last year, Wright said. Potbelly also uses its Underground Menu, which features items only available to order through its Perks Loyalty program, to offer different flavors and innovation. Value remains of importance to the chain, especially in the current environment of consumer price sensitivity. Wright defines value by the following three levels: intrinsic value, everyday value and promotional value. Intrinsic value describes the customers' perception that they are getting what they pay for after visiting a restaurant, while everyday value relates to things like Potbelly's $7.99 combos. Those combos are a way to let customers know that there will be certain things on the menu that they can count on for value, instead of trying to catch a deal at a specific time. For promotional value, the chain uses digital channels, like its loyalty program, to offer deals for its most loyal customers. If Potbelly offers a cookie LTO, it will encourage customers to order via its digital app or website, for example. It also offers straight digital advertising to boost this channel by explaining how digital order pick up is easy to do via its website or app. Digital continues to be a strong area of growth for the chain and made up over 42% of sales last quarter — 200 basis points higher than the year-ago period, Wright said. 'Once we get you in those digital channels, especially when we get into the first loyalty program, then we can use that information to customize our communication with you and make it more valuable,' Wright said. Potbelly is also investing capital to improve three areas of technology infrastructure. Its digital assets, including its app, web and digital marketing tools, are over four years old and are at a point where it is easier to rebuild rather than update, Wright said. The new tech stack will allow the brand to create segmented campaigns to hit specific customers. Potbelly's data infrastructure and data engineering platform is also outdated and is being rebuilt to allow for faster insights and decision-making, he said. Both of these technologies are expected to be rolled out by mid-year. The chain is also rolling out a new point-of-sales system called Potbelly Digital Customer Experience, or PDCX, over the next two years, he said. That system will unlock additional capabilities for digitizing some elements of the shop experience, like letting employees take orders using handheld devices if the line is long. When asked if kiosks might be on the tech menu, Wright said 'never say never to technology,' but Potbelly won't deploy technology just for the sake of adding it. Kiosks work better in a QSR environment because customers can just put in their orders and wait for their food, he said. At Potbelly, diners go through the makeline with an employee to build their sandwiches according to preference. 'If you look at our technology decisions, you'll find that pattern underneath all of them. They are technology for the sake of advancing the customer experience, or the business in some way, or our employee experience,' Wright said. In addition to its technology investments, the fast casual chain is testing a remodel strategy at its company-owned locations. A remodel would follow the rollout of the chain's small prototype, a 1,800-square-foot unit, the first of which opened last year. Wright credits the small prototype, which offers a flexible store design, as one reason why franchisees are interested in the chain. While the prototype is designed for 1,800 square feet, franchisees have built prototypes as small as 1,650 and as large as 2,000 square feet, to fit the size of available real estate. The prototype elements like a new beverage station could be considered for a remodel as well. Remodel testing could lead to a three-tiered redesign initiative across its system, depending on what a restaurant needs. 'You can drive sales with remodels and you can drive very nice returns on that investment,' Wright said. 'We're excited to have that in test and to be testing our way towards a solution that we think could scale into the future.' That could mean a light touch by just refreshing the colors, signage and fixing the wear and tear on a building. Intermediate remodels could also include things like a new beverage station, furniture and equipment, he said, while more expensive options would cover a comprehensive overhaul. 'Even though it's more expensive doesn't mean it's a bad return,' Wright said. 'It could be an even better return if it gives you the kind of [sales] lift that we think we can get.' Recommended Reading What's behind Potbelly's unit growth momentum Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
