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Sixteen years ago, Dave Vansteenburg became one of Jimmy Johns&rsquo; first franchisees. Today, with 59 stores open, he&rsquo;s the second-largest franchisee in the system.

Vansteenburg, who has averaged four openings a year since 2011, turns in higher than the company average when it comes to AUVs, and his same-store sales have been&nbsp;positive 14 out of the 16 years he&rsquo;s been in business.

His secret? &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the people you hire and how you treat them, and that ends up being what helps you make it or what holds you back,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.fastcasual.com/articles/franchise-focus-jimmy-johns/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fast-casual-this-jimmy-johns-multi-unit-franchisee-found-success-by-empowering-employees-to-work-for-themselves-12167" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vansteenburg told Fast Casual.</a>

That means employees share in the company&rsquo;s success.

&quot;I give bonus checks to the managers that have earned them every 28 days,&quot; <a href="https://www.fastcasual.com/articles/franchise-focus-jimmy-johns/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fast-casual-this-jimmy-johns-multi-unit-franchisee-found-success-by-empowering-employees-to-work-for-themselves-12167" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vansteenburg told Fast Casual</a>. &quot;I&#39;ve done that since I started in 2001. It&#39;s not enough to wait until the end of the year. Share the success regularly and often.&quot;

<a href="https://www.fastcasual.com/articles/franchise-focus-jimmy-johns/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fast-casual-this-jimmy-johns-multi-unit-franchisee-found-success-by-empowering-employees-to-work-for-themselves-12167" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click here to read the full interview, and to learn more about Vansteenburg&rsquo;s philosophy for success.</a>&nbsp;

Fast Casual: This Jimmy John’s Multi-Unit Franchisee Found Success By Empowering Employees to Work for Themselves

1851 Franchise

Dave Vansteenburg was one of Jimmy John’s first franchisees. And with 59 stores spanning from his home state in Minnesota to Boston, he’s also one of its largest. 


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