| Cover | 12 Months Ended |
| Dec. 25, 2022 | |
| Document Information [Line Items] | |
| Document Type | DEF 14A |
| Amendment Flag | false |
| Entity Information [Line Items] | |
| Entity Registrant Name | POTBELLY CORPORATION |
| Entity Central Index Key | 0001195734 |
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure - USD ($) | 12 Months Ended | |
| Dec. 25, 2022 | Dec. 26, 2021 | |
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Pay vs Performance [Table Text Block] | Pay Versus Performance As required by Section 953(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, Compensation Discussion & Analysis The following table sets forth information concerning the compensation of our CEO and other NEOs for each of the fiscal years ending December 25, 2022 and December 26, 2021 and our financial performance for each such fiscal year: Year Summary (1) Compensation (2) Average Non-PEO (3) Average Non-PEO (4) Value of (5) Net Income (6) 2022 $ 1,605,463 $ 1,641,526 $ 1,005,403 $ 1,028,777 $ 129.10 $ 4,345 2021 $ 1,669,657 $ 3,602,820 $ 973,176 $ 1,161,419 $ 121.71 $ (23,784 ) (1) Amounts in this column represent the amounts reported for Mr. Wright, our Chief Executive Officer and President for 2022 and 2021 in the “Total” column of the Summary Compensation Table for each applicable year. (2) Amounts in this column represent the amount of “compensation actually paid,” as computed in accordance with SEC rules. The dollar amounts do not reflect the actual amount of compensation earned by or paid during the applicable year. In accordance with SEC rules, the following adjustments were made to total compensation to determine the compensation actually paid: Year Reported Summary LESS: Reported Value (a) PLUS: Equity Award (b) Compensation Actually 2022 $ 1,605,463 — $ 36,063 $ 1,641,526 2021 $ 1,669,657 — $ 1,933,163 $ 3,602,820 (a) Amounts in this column represent the amounts reported in the “Stock Awards” columns in the Summary Compensation Table for each applicable year. (b) The amounts deducted or added in calculating the equity award adjustments are as set forth in the following table. Year Year End Fair Value of Awards ($) Year over Fair Value as of Vesting Equity Awards ($) Year over in the ($) Fair Value at in the ($) Value of ($) Total Equity 2022 — $ 14,000 — $ 22,063 N/A N/A $ 36,063 2021 — $ 111,625 — $ 1,821,538 N/A N/A $ 1,933,163 (3) Amounts in this column represent the average of the amounts reported for the Company’s NEOs as a group, excluding our CEO, in the “Total” column of the Summary Compensation Table for each applicable year. The NEOs included for purposes of calculating the average amounts for each applicable year are Ms. Dixon and Messrs. Cirulis, Noyes, and Douglas. (4) Amounts in this column represent the average amount of “compensation actually paid,” to the Company’s NEOs as a group, excluding our CEO, as computed in accordance with SEC rules. The dollar amounts do not reflect the actual amount of compensation earned by or paid during the applicable year. In accordance with SEC rules, the following adjustments were made to average total compensation for the NEOs as a group, excluding our CEO, to determine the compensation actually paid, using the same methodology described above in Note (2): Year Average Reported Table Total for Non-PEO LESS: Average Reported PLUS: Average Equity Average Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO 2022 $ 1,005,403 $ 362,496 $ 385,869 $ 1,028,777 2021 $ 973,176 $ 375,999 $ 564,242 $ 1,161,419 (a) Amounts in this column represent the amounts reported in the “Stock Awards” columns in the Summary Compensation Table for each applicable year. (b) The amounts deducted or added in calculating the equity award adjustments are as set forth in the following table. Year Year End Awards ($) Year over Fair Value as of Vesting Equity Awards ($) Year over in the ($) Fair Value at in the ($) Value of ($) Total Equity 2022 $ 356,378 $ 14,659 N/A $ 14,832 N/A N/A $ 385,869 2021 $ 368,893 $ 52,870 N/A $ 142,480 N/A N/A $ 564,242 (5) Cumulative TSR is calculated by dividing the difference between the Company’s share price at the end of the measurement period and the beginning of the measurement period (December 24, 2020) by (ii) the Company’s share price at the beginning of the measurement period (December 24, 2020). (6) Represents the amount of net (loss) income reflected in the Company’s audited financial statements for each applicable year. | |
| Named Executive Officers, Footnote [Text Block] | The NEOs included for purposes of calculating the average amounts for each applicable year are Ms. Dixon and Messrs. Cirulis, Noyes, and Douglas. | |
| PEO Total Compensation Amount | $ 1,605,463 | $ 1,669,657 |
| PEO Actually Paid Compensation Amount | $ 1,641,526 | 3,602,820 |
| Adjustment To PEO Compensation, Footnote [Text Block] | (2) Amounts in this column represent the amount of “compensation actually paid,” as computed in accordance with SEC rules. The dollar amounts do not reflect the actual amount of compensation earned by or paid during the applicable year. In accordance with SEC rules, the following adjustments were made to total compensation to determine the compensation actually paid: Year Reported Summary LESS: Reported Value (a) PLUS: Equity Award (b) Compensation Actually 2022 $ 1,605,463 — $ 36,063 $ 1,641,526 2021 $ 1,669,657 — $ 1,933,163 $ 3,602,820 (a) Amounts in this column represent the amounts reported in the “Stock Awards” columns in the Summary Compensation Table for each applicable year. (b) The amounts deducted or added in calculating the equity award adjustments are as set forth in the following table. Year Year End Fair Value of Awards ($) Year over Fair Value as of Vesting Equity Awards ($) Year over in the ($) Fair Value at in the ($) Value of ($) Total Equity 2022 — $ 14,000 — $ 22,063 N/A N/A $ 36,063 2021 — $ 111,625 — $ 1,821,538 N/A N/A $ 1,933,163 | |
| Non-PEO NEO Average Total Compensation Amount | $ 1,005,403 | 973,176 |
| Non-PEO NEO Average Compensation Actually Paid Amount | $ 1,028,777 | 1,161,419 |
| Adjustment to Non-PEO NEO Compensation Footnote [Text Block] | (4) Amounts in this column represent the average amount of “compensation actually paid,” to the Company’s NEOs as a group, excluding our CEO, as computed in accordance with SEC rules. The dollar amounts do not reflect the actual amount of compensation earned by or paid during the applicable year. In accordance with SEC rules, the following adjustments were made to average total compensation for the NEOs as a group, excluding our CEO, to determine the compensation actually paid, using the same methodology described above in Note (2): Year Average Reported Table Total for Non-PEO LESS: Average Reported PLUS: Average Equity Average Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO 2022 $ 1,005,403 $ 362,496 $ 385,869 $ 1,028,777 2021 $ 973,176 $ 375,999 $ 564,242 $ 1,161,419 (a) Amounts in this column represent the amounts reported in the “Stock Awards” columns in the Summary Compensation Table for each applicable year. (b) The amounts deducted or added in calculating the equity award adjustments are as set forth in the following table. Year Year End Awards ($) Year over Fair Value as of Vesting Equity Awards ($) Year over in the ($) Fair Value at in the ($) Value of ($) Total Equity 2022 $ 356,378 $ 14,659 N/A $ 14,832 N/A N/A $ 385,869 2021 $ 368,893 $ 52,870 N/A $ 142,480 N/A N/A $ 564,242 | |
| Total Shareholder Return Amount | $ 129.1 | 121.71 |
| Net Income (Loss) | $ 4,345,000 | (23,784,000) |
| PEO Name | Mr. Wright | |
| Increase in Net Income (Loss) | $ 28,000,000 | |
| Increase in TSR | 6% | |
| Decrease in Compensation Actually Paid to PEO | 54% | |
| Decrease in Average of the Compensation Actually Paid to the Other NEOs | 4% | |
| PEO [Member] | Reported Value of Equity Awards( [Member] | ||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | $ 0 | 0 |
| PEO [Member] | Equity Award Adjustments [Member] | ||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 36,063 | 1,933,163 |
| PEO [Member] | Year End Fair Value of Outstanding and Unvested Equity Awards Granted in the Applicable Year [Member] | ||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 0 | 0 |
| PEO [Member] | Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Outstanding and Unvested Equity Awards [Member] | ||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 14,000 | 111,625 |
| PEO [Member] | Fair Value as of Vesting Date of Equity Awards Granted and Vested in the Applicable Year [Member] | ||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 0 | 0 |
| PEO [Member] | Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Equity Awards Grant In Prior Years that Vested in the Applicable Year [Member] | ||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 22,063 | 1,821,538 |
| Non-PEO NEO [Member] | Reported Value of Equity Awards( [Member] | ||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 362,496 | 375,999 |
| Non-PEO NEO [Member] | Equity Award Adjustments [Member] | ||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 385,869 | 564,242 |
| Non-PEO NEO [Member] | Year End Fair Value of Outstanding and Unvested Equity Awards Granted in the Applicable Year [Member] | ||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 356,378 | 368,893 |
| Non-PEO NEO [Member] | Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Outstanding and Unvested Equity Awards [Member] | ||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | 14,659 | 52,870 |
| Non-PEO NEO [Member] | Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Equity Awards Grant In Prior Years that Vested in the Applicable Year [Member] | ||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] | ||
| Adjustment to Compensation Amount | $ 14,832 | $ 142,480 |
