Erbert & Gerbert

What Erbert & Gerbert does

Erbert & Gerbert's is a privately held, franchise-based sandwich and soup restaurant chain founded in 1988 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, currently operating approximately 70-80 locations across 8-9 Midwestern US states under headquarters in Edina, Minnesota. The chain sells made-to-order sandwiches distinguished by adventure-themed naming, a soup and mac-and-cheese line, and catering services, serving mass-market consumers through dine-in, drive-thru, pickup, and delivery occasions, alongside non-traditional venues including grocery stores, hospitals, airports, and universities.

The business model is primarily franchised, with a disclosed average franchise investment of approximately $981,385 indicating the capital required per unit from franchisees; revenue mechanics therefore rely on unit growth, royalty streams, and system-wide same-store sales rather than direct company-operated store P&L at scale. The technology stack is composed entirely of third-party integrations: a Punchh-powered mobile app for loyalty and ordering, Olo for online ordering, Stripe for payment processing, and DoorDash and Grubhub for third-party delivery. Customer acquisition is driven by foot traffic, local marketing, and the loyalty program rather than disclosed performance marketing infrastructure.

Growth execution is incremental and concentrated within the existing Midwest footprint rather than national. Strategic activity over the past three years has centered on a measured cadence of new openings (West St. Paul, January 2023; Princeton MN in partnership with Coborn's, January 2024; LaSalle Plaza Minneapolis, June 2026) and a series of menu extensions targeting higher check averages (Rotisserie Revolution, October 2024; Bread Bowls, October 2025; Poseidon Lobster Sandwich, February 2026). The 2023 placements on Entrepreneur Franchise 500, Franchise Times Top 200, and Gator Top 100 reflect franchise-industry recognition, supporting continued franchisee recruitment as the primary growth lever.

Name

Erbert & Gerbert

Legal name

Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop

Website

https://erbertandgerberts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Erbert & Gerbert's is a privately held franchise sandwich and soup chain founded in 1988, operating approximately 70-80 locations across 8-9 Midwestern US states, serving consumers and catering customers via dine-in, drive-thru, pickup, delivery, and non-traditional venues including grocery, hospital, airport, and university sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quick-service sandwich restaurant

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Sandwiches & Subs QSR (THAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Sandwich restaurant chain
• Soup and mac menu
• Franchise restaurant operations
• Catering box lunches
• Mobile rewards program

Headquarters

HQ city

Eau Claire

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sandwich Sales: Core revenue from made-to-order sandwiches with hot and cold options. Bread baked daily with freshly cut vegetables and deli meats.
2. Soup & Side Sales: Gourmet soups and mac & cheese as add-on items to sandwich orders. Signature soups include Chicken Wild Rice, Beer Cheese, Chicken Dumpling, Southwest Chili, Cheddar Broccoli.
3. Rewards Program: Points-based loyalty program where customers earn 1 point per dollar spent. 50 points = $5 reward redeemable on menu. Referral bonus of free sandwich for both referrer and friend.
4. Catering Services: Colossus Boxes (24 third-sandwiches), Box Lunches (full and Pick2 half sizes), Giant Soups & Mac in 32oz servings. Targets office meetings and events.
5. Gift Cards: Reloadable gift cards sold in-store with flexible load amounts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Erbert & Gerbert's operates a franchise sandwich and soup restaurant chain selling made-to-order sandwiches on freshly baked daily bread, paired with gourmet soups and mac & cheese. The chain also offers catering services, a mobile-app-based rewards program, gift cards, and limited-time menu items available through dine-in, drive-thru, pickup, and delivery channels in the Midwest U.S.

Product overview

Erbert & Gerbert's is a Midwest-based sandwich and soup restaurant chain offering made-to-order sandwiches on freshly baked daily bread with hand-sliced meats, vegetables, and cheeses, complemented by gourmet soups and mac & cheese. The core products are Sandwiches (including signature varieties like Girf, Boney Billy, Narmer, and Flash) and Soups & Mac (including Chicken Wild Rice, Beer Cheese, Chicken Dumpling, Southwest Chili, Mac & Cheese, and Cheddar Broccoli). The company also offers limited-time products (Rotisserie Chicken Sandwiches like Apollo, Nebula, Quatro, and Spartan; Freshly Baked Bread Bowls; and seasonal items like the Poseidon Lobster Sandwich), a Loyalty/Rewards Program via mobile app, Gift Cards, Catering services (Colossus Boxes and Box Lunches), and Mobile App Ordering. The brand emphasizes adventurous flavor combinations inspired by fictional space explorers Erbert and Gerbert.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sandwiches Made-to-order sandwiches on freshly baked daily bread with fresh-cut vegetables and deli meats. Includes signature sandwiches named after adventure characters (Girf, Boney Billy, Narmer, Flash), hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches, and limited-time offerings sold to walk-in, pickup, drive-thru, delivery, and catering customers.
• Soups & Mac Gourmet soups and mac & cheese made with chef-inspired recipes. Menu includes Chicken Wild Rice, Beer Cheese, Chicken Dumpling, Southwest Chili, Mac & Cheese, and Cheddar Broccoli soups. Sold as add-ons to sandwich orders, in catering 32oz servings, and in bread bowls during limited-time promotions.
• Rotisserie Chicken Sandwiches (Apollo, Nebula, Quatro, Spartan) Four rotisserie chicken sandwich varieties launched October 2024: Apollo (BBQ sauce, bacon, avocado), Nebula (ranch, bacon, provolone), Quatro (cranberry sauce, bacon, cheddar), and Spartan (honey mustard, bacon, cheddar). Available at all locations.
• Freshly Baked Bread Bowls Freshly baked artisan bread bowls filled with soups, chili, or mac & cheese. Limited-time offering launched October 2025 and available through early January 2026 at traditional locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, and most Non-Traditional College campus locations.
• Poseidon Lobster Sandwich Premium lobster sandwich featuring North Atlantic lobster, Old Bay seasoning, crisp celery, and creamy mayo on freshly baked bread. Limited-time offering launched February 2026.
• Erbert & Gerbert's Rewards Program Loyalty and rewards program accessible via the mobile app. Members earn 1 point per dollar spent; 50 points redeemable for a $5 reward. New members receive a free sandwich after first in-app purchase. Refer-a-friend bonuses deliver free sandwiches to both referrer and friend.
• Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase at local Erbert & Gerbert's locations. Cards can be loaded with any amount and reloaded as needed. Balance can be checked in-store or via StoreCard integration.
• Catering Catering services for office meetings and events. Offers Colossus Boxes (24 third-sandwiches for 8-10 people), Box Lunches (full-sized and Pick2 half-size with sandwich, chips, pickle, cookie), and Giant Soups/Mac (32oz servings for four). Ordered through direct sales and online ordering.
• Mobile App Ordering Mobile application for iOS and Android enabling online ordering, rewards tracking, and reordering. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Coborn's Grocery StorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErbert & Gerbert's opened a non-traditional location inside Coborn's Grocery Store in Princeton, MN. This partnership combines grocery shopping with fresh-made sandwiches, providing convenience for both shoppers and sandwich enthusiasts. The collaboration brings together two businesses dedicated to outstanding products and customer service.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner enabling Erbert & Gerbert's to reach customers who prefer delivery through the DoorDash platform.
• GrubhubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner enabling Erbert & Gerbert's to reach customers who prefer ordering through the Grubhub platform.
• Punchh (Olo)coreTechnology or IntegrationMobile loyalty and ordering platform provider powering the Erbert & Gerbert's rewards program and mobile app ordering functionality.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Jimmy John's: Jimmy John's is one of the largest submarine sandwich QSR chains in the US with 2,500+ locations, competing directly with Erbert & Gerbert's in the made-to-order sandwich category with delivery as a core channel. Highly comparable business model, customer demographic, and price point.
• Jersey Mike's Subs: Jersey Mike's is a fast-growing East Coast-style sub sandwich franchise with 2,000+ US locations offering fresh-made subs with a similar franchise-driven growth model, comparable AUVs, and direct competition in the made-to-order sandwich segment.
• Firehouse Subs: Firehouse Subs is a specialty sandwich franchise with ~1,200+ US locations emphasizing hot subs and soups, closely mirroring Erbert & Gerbert's sandwich-and-soup value proposition and franchise-driven growth model.
• Potbelly Sandwich Shop: Potbelly is a Midwest-origin sandwich chain with made-to-order toasted sandwiches and soups, sharing a very similar customer demographic and product mix with Erbert & Gerbert's, though larger in scale (~400+ locations).
• Capriotti's Sandwich Shop: Capriotti's is a privately held sandwich franchise with ~150+ locations, similar franchise-driven growth model, comparable menu (made-to-order subs with signature items), and similar scale trajectory to Erbert & Gerbert's.
• Penn Station East Coast Subs: Penn Station is a Midwest-focused sub sandwich franchise with ~300+ locations, sharing a similar geographic concentration, franchise model, and grilled sub menu approach with Erbert & Gerbert's.
• Which Wich Superior Sandwiches: Which Wich is a customizable sandwich franchise with a similar made-to-order format, comparable price point, and franchise-driven growth model, competing for similar lunchtime customers in the sandwich QSR category.

Broad incumbents

• Subway: Subway is the largest global sandwich QSR chain with 36,000+ locations, providing the dominant value-sub competition for any regional sandwich chain; relevant as the incumbent category leader rather than direct head-to-head competition.
• Panera Bread: Panera Bread is a fast-casual bakery-cafe chain with a soup-and-sandwich menu similar to E&G's combined offering, though it operates in a higher price tier with broader bakery and cafe positioning.

Regional players

• Atlanta Bread Company: Atlanta Bread Company is a bakery-cafe franchise with a soup, sandwich, and salad menu similar to Erbert & Gerbert's offering, though it primarily operates in the Southeast rather than E&G's Midwest territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/erbertgerberts

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Erbert & Gerbert