Chicago-based sandwich shop Potbelly opens University District location at 2108 N. High St. Credit: Nevaeh Repp | Design Editor
After leaving the University District nearly a decade ago, Potbelly has officially returned to Ohio State.
Tuesday, the Chicago-based sub shop opened its newest location at 2108 N. High St., making this the franchise’s fifth Columbus location.
To celebrate opening week and promote the restaurant’s value of giving back, District Manager Justin McDonough said Potbelly will donate 15% of profits made during the new location’s opening weekend Saturday and Sunday to the Ohio State Office of Student Life’s food pantry — located in room 233 of the John L. and Christine Warner Library and Student Center — to help tackle food insecurity on campus.
Robert Negron, chief operating officer of the Royal Restaurant Group, which franchises all Potbelly restaurants in the Columbus area, said when planning the shop’s opening weekend, he researched ways Potbelly could help make a difference at Ohio State and join the community in a meaningful way.
“Rather than trying to donate products from the store, we actually wanted to donate a cash contribution to the association,” Negron said.
McDonough said ever since the sandwich shop closed its doors in the Gateway University District in 2015 — prompting complaints from nearby students — Potbelly has been looking for an opportunity to return to Ohio State’s campus. When Papa John’s announced its closure in May 2024, he said the company saw it as the perfect chance to make a comeback.
Interior of new University District Potbelly location — at 2108 N. High St. Credit: Nevaeh Repp | Design Editor
“We wanted to be accessible to the students,” McDonough said. “Making a footprint in Ohio State’s walking distance where all the students are passing by is something that we thought was very important.”
Negron agreed, saying it was the students’ love for the brand that brought the shop back after 10 years.
“We believe in the student body. Students love Potbelly sandwiches. A lot of the students that we come across who know of us tell how excited they are that we’re finally here on Ohio State’s campus,” Negron said. “We’ve had a few different restaurants here in the Columbus area, but we definitely wanted to be on campus.”
Negron said one of the things that makes Potbelly unique from other franchises is that it caters each location’s decor to the local community. Accordingly, he said, the new location’s interior is all about the Buckeyes.
Wall decor at new University District Potbelly location — at 2108 N. High St. — showcases the history of Ohio State mascot Brutus Buckeye. Credit: Nevaeh Repp | Design Editor
“The tables here are geared towards the history of The Ohio State University,” Negron said. “If you also look at our decor on the wall, we have the history of Brutus, and also we have pictures of Brutus as he’s evolved from the very beginning when he was invented, all the way up to the modern-day mascot.”
McDonough said though the official grand opening took place Tuesday, the company chose to provide community members with an early preview Monday, hosting a soft launch event for a select group of students.
“On Monday, we had an ‘Oven-Warming’ event and got to feed a bunch of the local community and students,” McDonough said. “We got to introduce ourselves to the community. We wanted to make a big impact, and Ohio State is the best place to do so.”
The shop is now open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to midnight Thursday-Saturday.
