Jersey Mike’s Subs will open at 1520 Route 38 in Hainesport, New Jersey, on April 12.
Franchise owners and quadruplets, Erich, Nick, Sam, and Tom Ballard, will hold a grand opening and fundraiser from Wednesday, April 12 to Sunday, April 16 to support the Alzheimer’s Association. Customers who receive a special fundraising coupon distributed through a grassroots effort prior to the opening can make a minimum $3 contribution to the Alzheimer’s Association in exchange for a regular sub. Customers must have a coupon to be eligible.
“Jersey Mike’s has been a vital part of our family since it was our first jobs in high school,” says Tom. “We are excited to have the opportunity to grow with a fantastic company, to become a part of the Hainesport community, and to support the Alzheimer’s Association with all of the meaningful work that they do.”
The brothers’ older sister, Nichole, was the first to start working at the Middletown Jersey Mike’s location where they lived.About seven years later, in 2012, three-quarters of the Ballard quadruplets — Tom, Nick and Sam — started working there as sophomores at Middletown High School North. Erich would join the team in the summer of 2014.
After graduating, they remained involved with Jersey Mike’s even though their post-secondary paths took them in different directions. Tom attended The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), working at the Middletown location during breaks. Erich, Nick, and Sam started taking classes at Brookdale Community College until eventually Erich joined Tom at TCNJ and Sam enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. While in North Carolina, Sam continued wearing the blue apron while attending university full time. During this time, younger brother, Patrick, became the last and final Ballard to start working at Jersey Mike’s.
In 2021, the Ballard quadruplets were named recipients of the Jersey Mike’s Coach Rod Smith Award by Jersey Mike’s Founder Peter Cancro. Named after Cancro’s high school football coach who helped him secure a bank loan to buy his first sub shop at age 17, the award was introduced to give managers the opportunity to become store owners with financial and training support.
“We were elated, and greatly humbled, when we heard that Peter had named us as recipients of the Coach Rod Smith Award,” adds Tom. “None of us would have imagined that our first job in high school would become the first step in becoming franchise owners.”
This is their first business venture together.
“We wanted to stay in New Jersey, close to home, for our first store,” says Tom. “We work together as a family, and we want our Hainesport customers to feel like part of our family too.”
