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The most efficient way to order a Potbelly sandwich

I’ve been struggling for months with how to order from Potbelly Sandwich Works in the most efficient manner possible. Potbelly is a sandwich joint that’s spreading like wildfire; they’ve capitalized on the toasted-bun craze and combined good flavors and reasonable prices to produce a pretty darn good lunch option. Also, they’ve got sandwich making down to absolute science: your order is taken while you’re still in line, and an assembly line approach brings a high level of efficiency to the process.

Thus, as a customer, I feel obliged to bring a certain level of efficiency in my visits to Potbelly. I need to be able to tell the worker what I want on my sandwich, simply and concisely, so that no back-and-forth exchange of information is required. It must be a one-way street; I must be able to state my sandwich preferences and he/she must be able to make the sandwich without further clarifying.

A Potbelly sandwich comes standard with the items listed in the second sentence in white at the top. The optional elements are mayo, mustard, and hot peppers. This is what I want on my sandwich:

  • All of the standard items
  • Easy mayo
  • Regular mustard
  • Easy hot peppers

I have settled on this wording for the most efficient ordering of my sandwich: “I’d like everything, easy on the mayo, easy on the hot peppers.”

Efficiency is a beautiful thing.

Potbell"s menu

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