"When I first started my career, I traveled constantly around the country reviewing restaurants and attending conferences. Wherever I went, I was greeted with immense amounts of food. Restaurant owners and chefs were proud of their creations, as they should have been, and they wanted to show them off. The foods were generally rich, indulgent, and heavy, and the trips were hectic and tiresome."
"There I would seek refuge, a Diet Coke, and a peanut butter sandwich. It was simple. It was solace. It was easy on me, relaxing, and signaled that I would shortly be back where I belonged."
Frequent travel to review restaurants and attend conferences led to constant exposure to rich, indulgent foods and exhausting schedules. A solitary routine of catching a puddle jumper via the Chicago airport provided a comforting, predictable pause. The airport Potbelly offered a simple refuge: a Diet Coke and a peanut butter sandwich that felt like solace and signaled return home. That sandwich created a soft spot for Potbelly and sparked curiosity about the broader menu. Expectations for Potbelly's toasted sandwiches focused on fresh tastes, premium ingredients, and unique flair. A decision to let Potbelly choose revealed an unexpectedly surprising experience.
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