After massive growth on the West Coast, Jersey Mike’s Subs, known for its fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs, is focusing its development closer to home on the East Coast. The New Jersey-based company, celebrating its 60th Anniversary this year, has already opened six restaurants in its home state in the first half of the year, and is opening new markets in New York, including Long Island, and Staten Island.
“While Jersey Mike’s is repeatedly named one of the fastest-growing restaurant chains in the country, we continue to focus on finding the right franchise partners who share our passion for making the best sub sandwich on the planet and making a difference,” says Hoyt Jones, president, Jersey Mike’s Subs. “In addition to corporate stores, our growth in the Northeast is coming from both experienced multi-unit, multi-brand operators and existing franchisees who are committed to our brand.”
The first Jersey Mike’s Long Island location, will open on September 14 in Commack, New York, by local business owner, John Walsh, with partners Susan Daly and Nicki Gingola. Restaurant industry veteran Jim Denburg, is scheduled to open in November in Uniondale, New York. Denburg, who plans to open five Jersey Mike’s locations in the area, also operates multiple Smashburger restaurants in Brooklyn and Rockland county. Franchise owner Henry Gallo, who operates Jersey Mike’s locations in New Jersey and Manhattan, plans to open in Freeport.
In the neighboring county of Suffolk, New York, a group of former multi-unit Dunkin’ Donut & Baskin-Robbins franchisees, Mitch Cohen, Seth Goldstein, and Al Goldstein, will build five locations, with the first opening in Hauppauge in December. Cohen and Seth Goldstein were recognized by the International Franchise Association (IFA) as Franchisee of the Year (2009), and served in multiple leadership roles for both the IFA and Dunkin’ Brands. Additionally, the duo co-chaired the Dunkin' Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation.
“Staten Island is another new market for us and we are actively searching for the right real estate,” Jones says. “We are committed to the career development of our team members and are pleased that one of our former field operations team members, Brian Terry, along with his business partner Matt Jones, will open the first of three locations in that borough in December.”
Growth in the Garden State is also substantial for the sub chain that laid roots at the Jersey Shore back in 1956. Recently, local owners John Helm and Matt Catania opened their tenth location in the state, while Chris Rigassio opened his third. In addition, Jersey Mike’s continues its non-traditional strategy of opening on campuses, with new locations planned at Seton Hall University and Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey.
While other franchise groups are reducing the number of corporate stores, Jersey Mike’s is actively pursuing this strategy. In less than four years, the corporate store division has grown 200 percent to more than 50 locations, with 20 additional locations currently in development. Founder and CEO Peter Cancro considers corporate development essential for providing growth opportunities to team members who may ultimately earn an ownership stake in the restaurant. So far this year, the division has opened three locations in New Jersey, with a fourth under construction, and two more in development. The company is also targeting Philadelphia, with six locations scheduled to open in the next 12 months.
Since 2010, Jersey Mike’s locations throughout the country have raised nearly $18 million for local charities and have distributed more than 1.5 million free sub sandwiches to help numerous causes. This year, the company’s 6th Annual Jersey Mike’s Month of Giving in March raised more than $4 million for 180 charities throughout the country.
Jersey Mike’s Subs is searching for great sites to develop locations, and great people to grow with, whether that is through franchising or joining our corporate store division.
