By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
FINANCIAL DISTRICT — A long line stretched down the block in front of New York's first Potbelly sandwich shop just an hour after it opened on Maiden Lane Tuesday morning.
A steady stream of downtown office workers arrived throughout lunchtime to check out the chain's signature toasted sandwiches, fresh-baked cookies and live music.
"I like the hot peppers," said Rohan Tilak, 23, an Upper East Side resident who frequented Potbelly in his home state of Michigan. "The level of quality seems to be higher [than other sandwich shops]. And the prices are awesome."
The two sandwiches that had the most fans on Tuesday — "A Wreck," with salami, roast beef, turkey, ham and Swiss cheese, and "Italian" with capicola, mortadella, pepperoni, salami and provolone cheese — each cost only $5.80.
Many of the customers said they remembered Potbelly from business trips to Washington, DC, or from their college towns in the Midwest, and they were excited to see the shop open in Manhattan. Potbelly started in Chicago in 1977 and now has more than 200 locations.
Marilyn Oza, 27, a Financial District resident, said her favorite is the vegetarian sandwich with mushrooms and Swiss, provolone and cheddar cheeses.
"It's spicy, it's greasy and the cookies are really good too," Oza said as she enjoyed the sandwich Tuesday.
Anne Ewing, a zone manager for Potbelly, said New Yorkers have been begging the company to open a restaurant here for years.
"It's been fantastic," Ewing said at noon on Tuesday, looking at the line of hungry customers.
In a nod to the speed of life in the Financial District, the Maiden Lane location is the first to offer a takeout section with salads and yogurt for people who don't want to wait in line.
Potbelly plans to open five to six locations in Manhattan this year, including one at Lexington Avenue and 44th Street in mid-July and one at Rockefeller Center in mid-August, Ewing said.
The company hopes to open an additional five to 10 locations in Manhattan in 2012.
Potbelly, 101 Maiden Ln., is open Monday to Friday 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
