Pot Belly Restaurant, based in Dallas, TX, has been a favorite of the city since it opened nearly five years ago. The complex includes two dining areas and a bar with an intimate lounge. With its diverse cuisine options and large-sized entrees from burgers to tacos and salads to fish & chips, Potbelly menu is filled with all kinds of foods. Recently, though, the restaurant was hit with a lawsuit for over $4 million dollars because of false advertising about their portions sizes.
Five gigantic influences of pot belly restaurant are:
1. Culture/Artificial Environment Influence
“Pot Belly is a family owned and operated business, with an unwavering dedication to providing a memorable experience for our customers.” (Pot Belly website)
Through the Pot Belly experience, Dallas locals have been able to enjoy a great meal in a fun environment where they can feel comfortable knowing the portions are going to be enough. The restaurant is family friendly and has been rated as one of the top places in Dallas for large parties. The food is exceptional and fresh, always at a fair price. Because some restaurants have been changing their portion sizes in order to offer “value”, Pot Belly has fought off this trend by keeping their portions large but still offering low prices.
2. Ownership Influence
“If you’re looking for a restaurant that provides an experience, look no further,” Lea Bowman, co-owner of Pot Belly Restaurant. “We have built a unique business that is 100% family owned and operated. Our goal is to provide you with an experience to remember.” (Pot Belly website) Lea Bowman and her sister opened their first location in 2008, called Potbelly Sandwich Shop, in Arlington, TX . The concept grew from there with the opening of an eighth location through franchising in 2011. According to their website, Pot Belly’s revenue has nearly doubled in the last two years.
3.Staff Influence
The staff has also been very active in the community, always coming out to support local charities, fundraisers and events. The restaurant has a “pay it forward” program where employees can receive $5 off their bill following an act of kindness at the restaurant or contributed to a charity of their choice. The staff is also very friendly, knowledgeable and dedicated to the food and service industry. Recent numbers show that Pot Belly’s staff is well respected for the positive energy they bring to the table every day.
4. Food Influence
The menu at Pot Belly is made up of over 30 different items with nearly 20 more added each year. Pot Belly’s philosophy is simple: Quality food made from scratch, fast – and at a great price. The Pot Belly sandwich shop started in 2007 with one location in Arlington, TX. Today the restaurant has grown to have eight locations across the Dallas area and more than 70 franchised restaurants across the country.
In 2012, Pot Belly made it on the list of 50 best franchises for women to start by Franchise Business Review. This is an honor that is given annually to companies that make it easy for women to succeed in their business as well as provide a family friendly environment for both employees and customers.
5. Marketing Influence
Pot Belly has built their brand with a mixture of great food at a great price on their website and through social media channels. They offer meals that are served in portions that leave you full and satisfied. The number of social media sites Pot Belly uses is impressive, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Pot Belly also utilizes YouTube to provide a unique experience for customers who want to learn more about their true “Gigantic Influence.”
As the most recent lawsuit filed against Pot Belly, it could be seen as an example of what some see as “the big food companies” manipulating the market by using false advertising tactics.
The lawsuit alleges the following:
“Pot Belly Restaurant advertises its sandwiches as being larger and healthier than those sold by other restaurants. Pot Belly’s sandwiches are larger in size, despite having less filling, than many of the other sandwich shops. Pot Belly’s menu states that a meal includes a sandwich, drink and side dish. Under Texas law, however, a “meal” can only contain two things: A complete meal that is not considered a food product or beverage; and at least one food item. Thus, Pot Belly’s advertisement is false because it implies that its sandwiches are larger than they actually are; this is false advertising. It is also false advertising to advertise a product as including a meal when only two things are included in the meal, this is known as “two-fer” advertising.
Pot Belly’s sandwiches contain more bread than filling, whereas its competitors’ sandwiches contain more filling than bread; this is misleading advertising. Pot Belly uses its advertisements to mislead consumers into purchasing goods in conjunction with items that are of lesser value than what is advertised; this constitutes bait and switch. Further, Pot Belly is the only restaurant chain that advertises its sandwiches as being larger and healthier than those sold by other restaurants.“
It seems that Pot Belly has not yet responded to this lawsuit but one could anticipate they will deny the allegations made.
Conclusion:
Pot Belly has been a large influence in the restaurant industry with their large portions, prices and friendly staff. Pot Belly has been able to reach a level of quality that traditional fast food chains cannot reach. Because of this, Pot Belly has become a staple in the DFW area for those who want to try an extraordinary meal at an exceptional price.
Pot Belly’s high quality of food and cheap price have made it a great company to invest in. The company is not yet overvalued so there is good possibility they will continue to grow without any problems. The company would have proven itself as a great buy if it had remained popular but the popularity seems to be coming back thanks to their new location on Greenville Avenue.
