Sponsored by Potbelly
Ryan Hamra and Cody MacPherson come from very different backgrounds, but their philosophy is ironclad: rely on each other’s strengths and provide customers with great food.
The duo has parlayed their individual successes in running franchises into a partnership that will bring Potbelly Sandwich Shop’s newest store prototype to their home state of Arkansas.
A 15-year journey to becoming a Potbelly owner
Hamra, a longtime restaurant worker, remembers his first Potbelly sandwich.
“After I graduated college, I was living in Chicago and fell in love with Potbelly after the first bite,” Hamra said. “It was a roast beef sandwich, and when I tried the hot peppers, I was hooked. As someone who grew up in restaurants, I could tell when I walked into the shops that there was something special about the way they were run.”
After that first Potbelly experience in 1999, Hamra knew he wanted to be a part of the brand. After returning to his hometown of Little Rock, he began to inquire about Potbelly.
“I wanted to quit fast food and late nights,” Hamra said. “At the time, Chipotle and Subway were becoming more popular and the market was moving toward fresher ingredients and healthier options. Potbelly was the right opportunity.”
Potbelly was not yet in the franchise business when Hamra expressed interest in bringing the brand to Arkansas, but patience proved a virtue. As Potbelly began to expand its presence, Hamra was invited to several interviews. He became one of Potbelly’s very first franchisees and, after extensive in-store training, opened his first store in October 2014. Hamra also owns the Little Rock location of Blue Coast Burrito, a Baja-style Mexican franchise concept.
Life after the military
After six years in the Air Force, MacPherson knew what he wanted to do next. With one year left in the military, he began exploring franchise opportunities that catered to his other passion: food.
Although the Air Force required a strict diet and fitness plan, MacPherson enjoyed cheat meals and was looking for a dessert concept to enter the franchising space. He opened his first Crumbl Cookies location in Jonesboro, AR in 2020. He opened a second one a few months later.
As MacPherson grew into his role as a multi-unit franchisee at Crumbl, he began looking for ways to expand his portfolio. Like Crumbl, Potbelly’s menu offers a fresh, innovative twist on classic flavors, which attracted MacPherson.
“I love the atmosphere, the family environment and most of all the product,” MacPherson said of Potbelly.
The perfect franchise match
Potbelly’s franchise team arranged a meeting between Hamra and MacPherson to discuss a possible partnership. Hamra was impressed by MacPherson’s youth, energy and experience as a multi-unit franchise owner and knew this was the right person to help him expand from Central Arkansas into the fast-growing northwest region of the state.
“Each partner in our ownership group took a test to evaluate our leadership style and the results showed that we complement each other perfectly,” noted Hamra.
Within their ownership group, Hamra, MacPherson and managing partner Tiffany Montgomery oversee the areas that best fit their skills and leadership styles. Montgomery handles the day-to-day and practical aspects of the business, while MacPherson manages staff and Hamra serves as the group’s majority shareholder and spokesperson.
Growing with the Potbelly Digital Kitchen
MacPherson recently opened a location in Jonesboro to showcase Potbelly’s new digital prototype, including the Potbelly Digital KitchenBoth entrepreneurs believe the concept will revolutionize the way Potbelly serves its customers and plan to deploy the digital prototype in future locations.
At Potbelly Digital Kitchen locations, employees can track the flow of each sandwich or order from station to station. The digital nature allows for better integration with the Potbelly app, which in turn drives more customers to Potbelly Digital Kitchen locations. While the digital prototype is available in a variety of formats, Hamra and MacPherson point out that it’s a particularly good option for drive-thru locations.
MacPherson points out that Potbelly’s flexible formats make it easier to source real estate, keeping long-term plans on track. Potbelly plans to open two to three stores per year, with a total of 14 stores to operate in central and northwest Arkansas.
