Potbelly CFO Charles Talbot resignsPotbelly CFO Charles Talbot resigns

Potbelly Corp. chief financial officer Charles Talbot has resigned “to accept a senior leadership position with another company outside of the restaurant industry,” the company said Thursday.

Potbelly did not say where Talbot would be working. Talbot would remain with the Chicago-based sandwich chain until March 27. The company said a search is underway for his successor.

“We are grateful for Charlie’s leadership during his tenure as Potbelly’s chief financial officer,” Aylwin Lewis, Potbelly’s chairman, president and CEO, said in a statement. “Charlie has been an integral part of the Potbelly team and has made invaluable contributions as we transitioned from a private company to a successful public company.&rdquo

Lewis said Talbot has “been instrumental in establishing our solid financial standing and building the financial infrastructure of the company.”

“I have truly enjoyed my time and experience at Potbelly,” Talbot said. “I have had the opportunity to work with great people in an amazing business over the last six and a half years. I look forward to seeing Potbelly continue to grow and successfully execute on the long-term strategy we have put in place.”

Potbelly went public in 2013, and operates more than 300 locations. The chain’s same-store sales fell for much of 2014, but it ended the year with a 3.7-percent increase in comps during the fourth quarter ended Dec. 29. Potbelly’s stock fell 2 percent Thursday, and more than 1 percent in after-hours trading.

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