Jimmy John's was started in 1983, the year of my birth. Was this destiny? Probably not. But not only did it start in 1983, its birthplace was also in my home state of Illinois. Today, one look at their quaint, little sandwich shops may not be the most awe-inspiring sight for some people, but it's what's served inside that brings hoards of followers inside. Its founder, Jimmy John Liautaud, wanted a way to make some money as a college student at Eastern Illinois University by selling and delivering four different kinds of subs from a converted garage. Well, business grew and today Jimmy John's has over 16 sandwiches on their menu and is currently a multi-million dollar regional business based in Elgin, IL. With franchises expanding all the way to central America, Jimmy John's looks like it's going to continue to grow. Even though it may not be as big as some other sub sandwich vendors like Subway or Quizno's, it still doesn't change the fact that they make some of the best deli sandwiches money can buy.
Let me just say first off that I love their business model. It screams of operating efficiency and cost control. Most of their shops around Purdue consist of small, corner spaces that are the size of most Chinese take-out places. At the very most, they'll have about 5 or 6 people working there at one time and ordering is either a phone call or, as in my case, a short walk away. They bake fresh bread everyday and use high quality ingredients. Not only that, they make your subs any way you want and they make 'em super fast. I don't think I've ever spent more than a few minutes in a Jimmy John's. All I have to do is walk in, say hi to the guy at the counter, say "Turkey Tom", and I"m out the door with food in my hands 30 seconds later. I probably have bought a sub from them about 3 times a week this whole school year. Some of my favorites include: the Turkey Tom, Billy Club, Beach Club and Club Lulu. And if ever in a cheap mood, one could just buy Hellmann's mayo, deli meat, provolone cheese and whatever else you wanted at your local grocer and then buy day-old bread at a Jimmy John's which only sells for $.45. That way, you save a little money and still bring that Jimmy John's goodness home. And all I can say is amen to that.
Be sure to check out their menu here.
In the works:
1. Big Slick giveth and Big Slick taketh away
2. Free Windows XP from Bondage
3. More Poker: Diversity is Fun
No comments:
Post a Comment