Franchise News
The Ledger: Lennys Grill & Subs Franchisee and Cancer Survivor Opens Location in Polk
Brain cancer survivor and now business owner Jim Harmer recently opened a Lennys Grill & Subs location in Florida.
Former Polk County deputy and hostage negotiator, Jim Harmer just opened the first Lennys Grill & Subs to serve the greater Lakeland market, expanding the brand's footprint in Florida. The opening was a huge success and a day that Jim will remember forever. Jim is a brain cancer survivor, and up until last year, he was unsure whether or not he was going to be able to beat it. Now, with his parents and wife at his side, he is a survivor and a business owner.
“I thought I could do this by myself,” Jim Harmer said in an interview with The Ledger, “but I can’t.”
Jim previously owned a lawn and garden pest control business, but after his initial diagnosis, gave up the business to focus on treatment. It was during this time that he and his wife were exposed to Lenny's while traveling between Bartow and Tampa. They were hooked on the brand from the first bite.
“I had the Italian sub and I fell in love,” Harmer said to The Ledger reporter. “My wife ate the chicken Philly and she said, ‘Oh my God.’”
In 2011, Jim decided to join the Polk County Sherrif's office for a change of pace and it proved to be the right choice as he was named Detention Deputy of the Year in 2013. With his cancer in remission, Jim also began looking into franchising with his father. The two began their training with Lennys but in 2015, Jim's cancer returned.
After more chemotherapy and a tough decision to give up his job at the Sherrif's Office, Jim has been solely focused on getting his franchise up and running. The cancer is gone for good and with his improved energy, Jim is off to a running start, breaking sales records in less than a week since opening.
“In my mind, I wake up happy every day,” he said to The Ledger.
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About the Author
Nick Powills
FollowNick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
