<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2006-11-03</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2003-02-04</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001171014</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>COSI INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>COSI</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001209021</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ZAM HOLDINGS L P</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O PBK HOLDINGS, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>283 GREENWICH AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>GREENWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06830</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001059932</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>PBK HOLDINGS INC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>283 GREENWICH AVE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>GREENWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06830</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001271455</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>KORSANT PHILIP B</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>283 GREENWICH AVE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>GREENWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06830</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Warrant</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>0.0084</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2006-11-03</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>40024</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2001-11-07</value>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2006-11-06</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>40024</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>439710</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Due to Issuances of shares by the Issuer, the antidilution provisions of this previously reported warrant have increased the number of shares underlying the warrant by 18,035 from 21,989 to 40,024 shares. Additionally, due to the issuance of shares by the Issuer, the antidilution provisions of this warrant have reduced the exercise price from $0.0153 to $0.00841.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">As of November 3, 2006 ZAM Holdings, L.P. is the beneficial owner of 5,058,774 shares of the Issuer's Common Stock, ZAM Holdings, L.P. owns 4,619,064 shares of such Common Stock directly and 439,710 shares may be obtained upon exercise of warrants.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The securities reported above are directly owned by ZAM Holdings, L.P. PBK Holdings, Inc. (&quot;PBK Holdings&quot;), as the general partner of ZAM Holdings, L.P., and Philip B. Korsant (&quot;Korsant&quot;), as the sole shareholder of PBK Holdings, may be deemed indirect beneficial owners under Rule 16a-1(a)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the &quot;Act&quot;), of securities of the Issuer beneficially owned by ZAM Holdings, L.P. Other than with respect to their direct or indirect ownership interest in ZAM Holdings, L.P., PBK Holdings and Korsant are not beneficial owners pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(1) of the Act of any securities of the Issuer.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">PBK Holdings, as the general partner of ZAM Holdings, L.P., and Korsant, as the sole shareholder of PBK Holdings, may be deemed indirect beneficial owners under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Act of securities of the Issuer beneficially owned by ZAM Holdings, L.P. Other than with respect to their direct or indirect ownership interest in ZAM Holdings, L.P., PBK Holdings and Korsant are not beneficial owners pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Act of any securities of the Issuer.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>This Form 4/A is being filed as the Fifth Amendment to the Form 4 filed on February 4, 2003. A first amendment was filed on November 6, 2003. A second amendment was filed on December 24, 2003. A third amendment was filed on December 30, 2003. A fourth amendment was filed on February 3, 2005. This Form 4/A also supplements the Form 5 filed by the reporting persons on February 13, 2003.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Timothy Mitchell, Vice President of PBK Holdings, Inc., the General Partner of ZAM Holdings, L.P.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2006-11-07</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Timothy Mitchell, Vice President of PBK Holdings, Inc.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2006-11-07</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Philip B. Korsant</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2006-11-07</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
