The entrepreneurs bringing Potbelly Sandwich Works to Jacksonville are also introducing the area to a health and nutrition-focused restaurant offering high protein breakfast, lunch and dinner options designed for “on the go lifestyles.”
Protein Bar & Kitchen (PBK) is a Chicago-based, fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in high-protein bowls, salads, wraps, shakes, smoothies, coffee and lattes.
“They are all about delicious, nutritious, but protein-packed meals,” Patrick Prendergast, co-owner of PBK Group LLC — the Jacksonville-area franchisee for Protein Bar — told the Times-Union.
“They’re using clean ingredients but offering a much, much more transparent and elevated dining experience for those who are seeking healthier options,” Prendergast said of what makes Protein Bar stand out from its competition.
Protein Bar’s menu offerings can be customized to adapt to vegan, vegetarian, keto, pescatarian and gluten-free diets. The restaurant also features a kid-focused menu, Prendergast said.
“You name it, we have an option for all dietary preferences,” Prendergast said.
Guests will order at the counter, take a seat and their order will be brought to them.
“One way that Protein Bar kind of differentiates itself from other companies is that it’s a healthy restaurant with a full, extensive menu. We have everything. Breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner options,” co-owner Bobby Knapp said.
Prendergast and Knapp are scouting out potential Protein Bar locations, but said they hope to have the first Protein Bar open by September.
“We have lots of interest between the city of Jacksonville, down to the Southside and the Durbin Park area,” Predergast said.
Jacksonville at forefront of Protein Bar & Kitchen’s nationwide expansion
Jacksonville is the first Protein Bar & Kitchen location outside of Illinois, as well as the first in Florida. The city is a gateway for introducing Protein Bar to the rest of the state, CEO Jeff Drake told the Times-Union via email.
“We have long believed that Protein Bar & Kitchen is a great fit for the Florida market — our delicious, nutritious and protein-packed food and drink for everybodywill align perfectly with active and wellness-conscious individuals across the state,” Drake said.”It’s incredibly exciting to begin our southern expansion in Jacksonville and we look forward to powering the community with our better-for-you mission.”
Prendergast noted that Protein Bar has seen “explosive growth.”
“So they are signing up franchisees left and right. But they are also getting a lot of interest from airports and healthcare facilities,” Prendergast said.
Founded in 2009 in downtown Chicago, the Protein Bar & Kitchen has 19 restaurants, including 15 corporate-owned, while the others are licensed locations. Many are already in airports, hospitals and on college campuses.
The chain “hopes to accelerate future growth through a recently launched franchising program.” It has 30 franchised and licensed locations in development, QSR magazine reported Jan. 15.
“Five for Jacksonville is the start. Five locations in four years,” Prendergast said of their Protein Bar growth plan.
Signature menu offerings
Knapp said each entree has at least 15 grams of protein.
“The No. 1 smoothie that is sold is the Mango Cure,” Knapp said of the beverage featuring orange juice, mango, lemon, banana, organic raw honey, ginger, strawberries and cayenne.
Prendergast said equally popular is the Mexicali Bowl, made with organic quinoa blend, roasted chicken, roasted corn, braised black beans, cheddar cheese, braised kale, salsa roja, PBK guacamole, chipotle Greek yogurt, spicy tomatillo sauce and cilantro.
Customer favorite protein shakes include the Wrigley Field, made with chocolate whey protein, almond milk, banana and organic peanut butter.
“Simplicity is key, but we’re not a simple restaurant concept,” Prendergast said. “We’re efficient, quick, fast-casual, but by no means a simple restaurant,” Prendergast said.
Everything is made fresh-to-order, they said.
“A cool thing with Protein Bar as well is that there are no fryers, no open flame,” Knapp said.
Entrepreneurs also bringing Potbelly Sandwich Works to Jacksonville
Both hospitality industry veterans, Prendergast and Knapp, are the team bringing seven Potbelly Sandwich Works locations to the Jacksonville area.
Prendergast and his wife, Leah, co-own the Potbelly franchise. Knapp is the operating partner.
They hope to open the first Potbelly at 9908 Old Baymeadows Road in Deerwood Village shopping center on March 24.
A second Potbelly is planned at 13529 Beach Blvd. in Hodges Station restaurant and retail center. They hope to open it in June. The other five Potbelly sites haven’t been finalized, they said.
Although Potbelly is also based in Chicago, it is unrelated to Protein Bar & Kitchen. Potbelly is owned by RaceTrac Inc. The parent of Protein Bar & Kitchen is Founders Table Restaurant Group LLC.
As they prepare to open Protein Bar, Prendergast and Knapp noted that the restaurant’s average meal is lower than that of any of their competition.
“It’s a family-friendly price point,” Prendergast said.
(This story has been updated with more information.)
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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