PBPB (Potbelly) Interest Coverage: 35.72 (As of Jun. 2025) — Near Median


PBPB Potbelly Corp PBPB
9 GF Score
Price $17.12
GF Value $8.39
! 8 Warning Signs
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What is Potbelly Interest Coverage?

Potbelly PBPB 9 Interest Coverage is 35.72 as of Jun. 2025, which is 7% below its 10-year median of 38.54. GuruFocus rates PBPB with a GF Score™ of 9/100 and a GF Value™ of $8.39. The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review.

Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's Operating Income by its Interest Expense. Potbelly's Operating Income for the three months ended in Jun. 2025 was $4.4 Mil. Potbelly's Interest Expense for the three months ended in Jun. 2025 was $-0.1 Mil. Potbelly's interest coverage for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2025 was 35.72. The higher the ratio, the stronger the company's financial strength is.

The historical rank and industry rank for Potbelly's Interest Coverage or its related term are showing as below:

PBPB' s Interest Coverage Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.7   Med: 38.54   Max: 141.34
Current: 21.44


PBPB's Interest Coverage is not ranked
in the Restaurants industry.
Industry Median: 6.45 vs PBPB: 21.44

Note: If both Interest Expense and Interest Income are empty, while Net Interest Income is negative, then use Net Interest Income as Interest Expense.


Potbelly  (NAS:PBPB) Interest Coverage Explanation

Ben Graham requires that a company has a minimum interest coverage of 5 with the companies he invested. If the interest coverage is less than 2, the company is burdened by debt. Any business slow or recession may drag the company into a situation where it cannot pay the interest on its debt.

Interest Coverage is an important factor when GuruFocus ranks a company's overage Financial Strength .


Potbelly Interest Coverage Related Terms


Potbelly Interest Coverage Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Potbelly's Interest Coverage can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Note: For Interest Coverage, "No debt" indicates no long-term debt. An indication of "No Debt" does not necessarily mean that the company has no long-term debt obligations; it could be due to missing data in the quarterly or annual report. Use caution when interpreting this information.

Potbelly Interest Coverage Chart

Potbelly Annual Data
Trend Dec15 Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24
Interest Coverage
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 0.00 0.00 0.70 3.45 15.53

Potbelly Quarterly Data
Sep20 Dec20 Mar21 Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25
Interest Coverage Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 24.24 28.96 22.95 2.54 35.72

PBPB vs BRCB, NATH, VENU: Interest Coverage Comparison

For the Restaurants subindustry, Potbelly's Interest Coverage, along with its competitors' market caps and Interest Coverage data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Potbelly Interest Coverage vs Restaurants Industry

For the Restaurants industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, Potbelly's Interest Coverage distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Potbelly's Interest Coverage falls into.


PBPB
9GF Score
Potbelly Corp PBPB
Interest Coverage is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Potbelly Interest Coverage Calculation

Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's Operating Income (EBIT) by its Interest Expense:

If Interest Expense is negative and Operating Income is positive, then

Interest Coverage=-1* Operating Income /Interest Expense

Else if Interest Expense is negative and Operating Income is negative, then

The company did not have earnings to cover the interest expense.

Else if Interest Expense is 0 and Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation is 0, then

The company had no debt (1).


Note: If both Interest Expense and Interest Income are empty, while Net Interest Income is negative, then use Net Interest Income as Interest Expense.

Potbelly's Interest Coverage for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2024 is calculated as

Here, for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2024, Potbelly's Interest Expense was $-0.8 Mil. Its Operating Income was $12.9 Mil. And its Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $131.9 Mil.

Interest Coverage=-1* Operating Income (A: Dec. 2024 )/Interest Expense (A: Dec. 2024 )
=-1*12.871/-0.829
=15.53

Potbelly's Interest Coverage for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2025 is calculated as

Here, for the three months ended in Jun. 2025, Potbelly's Interest Expense was $-0.1 Mil. Its Operating Income was $4.4 Mil. And its Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $121.5 Mil.

Interest Coverage=-1* Operating Income (Q: Jun. 2025 )/Interest Expense (Q: Jun. 2025 )
=-1*4.394/-0.123
=35.72

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

The higher the ratio, the stronger the company's Financial Strength is.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Interest Coverage →
What does a Interest Coverage of 35.72 mean?
Potbelly (PBPB) has a Interest Coverage of 35.72 as of Jun. 2025. Interest Coverage measures a company's capability to pay interest expenses on its debt. View historical data on Potbelly and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 38.54. Over the past decade, Potbelly's Interest Coverage has ranged from 0.70 to 141.34.
Is Potbelly's Interest Coverage too high?
Potbelly's current Interest Coverage of 35.72 is near median its 10-year median of 38.54. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.70 to a high of 141.34. The Restaurants industry median Interest Coverage is 6.45. Potbelly's value of 35.72 is 453.8% above this industry median. Overall, Potbelly has a GF Score™ of 9/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Potbelly's Interest Coverage compare to BRCB and NATH?
Potbelly's Interest Coverage of 35.72 can be compared against companies in the Restaurants industry. The industry median Interest Coverage is 6.45. Potbelly's value of 35.72 is 453.8% above this benchmark. Historically, Potbelly's own Interest Coverage has ranged from 0.70 to 141.34 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 38.54 vs. the industry median of 6.45, Potbelly has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Interest Coverage for a Restaurants company?
The median Interest Coverage among Restaurants companies is 6.45, based on 262 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Interest Coverage significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Interest Coverage should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Potbelly's current Interest Coverage of 35.72 is 453.8% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Interest Coverage mean?
A high Interest Coverage can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Interest Coverage measures a company's capability to pay interest expenses on its debt. View historical data on Potbelly and its competitors. For the Restaurants industry, the median Interest Coverage is 6.45 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Potbelly's current Interest Coverage is 35.72, which is near median its own 10-year median of 38.54. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Potbelly stock overvalued right now?
Potbelly (PBPB) has a current Interest Coverage of 35.72. The stock's GF Value™ is $8.39, compared to a current price of $17.12 — trading 104.1% above its estimated fair value. The current Interest Coverage is 35.72, which is near median its 10-year median of 38.54 and 453.8% above the Restaurants industry median of 6.45. Potbelly's overall GF Score™ is 9/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Interest Coverage calculated?
Interest Coverage is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Potbelly (PBPB), the current Interest Coverage is 35.72 as of Jun. 2025. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Potbelly (PBPB) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Potbelly stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $17.12 is trading 104.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of $8.39.

Key valuation signals for PBPB:

  • Interest Coverage: 35.72 (near median its 10-year median of 38.54)
  • GF Value™: $8.39 vs. price of $17.12 (104.1% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 9/100 with 8 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 453.8% above the Restaurants median

No single metric tells the full story. See the PBPB stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Potbelly Business Description

Address 111 North Canal Street, Suite 325, Chicago, IL, USA, 60606
Potbelly Corp owns and franchises hundreds of limited-service restaurants specializing in sandwiches and salads, shakes. The menu includes toasty sandwiches, signature salads, soups, chili, sides, desserts, and, in breakfast locations it serves breakfast sandwiches and steel-cut oatmeal. majority of its locations are company-owned and located in the United States, with Illinois and Texas housing far more locations than any other state. The company has franchise partners in a number of countries. Excluding the United States, its franchises are in the Middle East.
9GF Score

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Interest Coverage is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$17.12
Price
$8.39
GF Value