How often does Potbelly Sandwich Works add a 53rd week to its fiscal year?
Potbelly_Sandwich_Works Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We use a 52/53-week fiscal year that ends on the last Sunday of the calendar year. Approximately every five or six years a 53rd week is added. Fiscal year 2024 consists of 52 weeks, fiscal year 2023 consisted of 53 weeks and fiscal year 2022 consisted of 52 weeks.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 37–49)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Potbelly Sandwich Works's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, they operate on a 52/53-week fiscal year, which concludes on the last Sunday of the calendar year. A 53rd week is incorporated roughly every five to six years.
For example, fiscal year 2024 consisted of 52 weeks, fiscal year 2023 consisted of 53 weeks and fiscal year 2022 consisted of 52 weeks. This means that Potbelly Sandwich Works's financial performance and reporting periods may vary slightly from year to year, depending on whether the fiscal year contains 52 or 53 weeks.
Prospective franchisees should be aware of this accounting practice, as it can impact year-over-year comparisons of financial data. Franchisees may want to inquire about how Potbelly Sandwich Works accounts for this extra week in their financial reporting and how it might affect their own financial planning and analysis.