Potbelly opens first Northwest Arkansas shop in Bentonville

Sandwich shop Potbelly has opened in Bentonville and is expected to open in Springdale. The Bentonville shop at 909 S.E. J St., along the street-level retail space of Parking Deck 8 at the new Walmart Home Office, is the first in Northwest Arkansas.

Potbelly also has shops in Little Rock and Jonesboro.

The new shop offers toasted sandwiches, salads and shakes. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

“Opening on Walmart’s corporate campus is an incredible opportunity when you consider just how much of a neighborhood this extremely unique area has become,” said Kellye Blakeney, general manager of the Potbelly in Bentonville. “Serving both Walmart associates and visitors in a space that celebrates community and connection is as Potbelly as it gets.”

The new Potbelly is owned and operated by Tiffany Montgomery, an area entrepreneur and franchisee with the Montgomery Group. Montgomery is a University of Arkansas alumna and a longtime Northwest Arkansas resident. Her passion for the restaurant industry and connection to the region inspired her to open the Potbelly in Bentonville.

The company declined to disclose how much was invested in opening the new shop and didn’t have an answer for the shop’s square footage. The new shop will hire about 20 employees.

The Springdale shop will open in a shopping center at Gene George Boulevard and West Sunset Avenue (U.S. Highway 412), west of Sam’s Club. The shop at 5761 W. Sunset Ave., Suite C, is expected to open in late December.

Since opening its first shop in Chicago in 1977, Potbelly has expanded to more than 425 U.S. shops, including more than 80 franchised shops.