Potbelly is expanding its Central Florida presence through a 10-shop franchise development agreement with veteran franchise operator BD Patel and his nephews, Bhavesh and Mihir Patel. The family plans to develop locations across the region, with an initial focus on Northeast Orlando and additional growth planned for Gainesville. The agreement gives Potbelly another foothold in a market that continues to attract residents, businesses and investment.
BD Patel brings more than three decades of franchise experience to the venture, with a background that includes developing and operating restaurant brands such as Dunkin’, Quiznos and Mooyah Burgers. His nephews add a different set of strengths to the family business. Bhavesh has experience in operations and helping grow the family’s convenience store business, while Mihir moved from information technology into hospitality through ownership of a franchised hotel.
The partnership also reflects a personal connection to Potbelly. Bhavesh and his wife became regular customers while attending the University of Cincinnati, giving the family familiarity with the brand before pursuing franchise ownership. Their development strategy will focus on bringing Potbelly’s toasted sandwiches, salads, shakes and neighborhood-oriented atmosphere to residential areas, business districts and university communities throughout Central Florida.
For a family preparing to develop multiple locations, keeping operational information organized can become increasingly important as the network grows. Gorilla Dash provides a Knowledge Base that can bring training materials, operating procedures and other franchise resources into one accessible system, helping teams work from consistent information as new locations come online.
Potbelly’s Central Florida agreement adds to the brand’s broader expansion across Florida, where it is pursuing additional development opportunities in several markets. For the Patel family, the deal represents an opportunity to combine established franchise experience with the next generation of family leadership while building a new restaurant network across one of the country’s active growth regions.
