Jersey Mike’s: Power Players in the Sandwich Game

Jersey Mike’s is a franchise brand and has been able to build a sandwich empire by focusing on more than just creating the perfect sub, they focus on giving. Just a few months ago, Jersey Mike’s held their annual “Day of Giving,” where 100 percent of proceeds on this day went to 150 different local charities nationwide, raising $3 million during the initiative.

That’s just one example of how this brand has been able to tap into the human spirit and create a legacy worth talking about.

I was able to sit down and speak with Jersey Mike’s president, Hoyt Jones, on what makes this brand tick and how they’ve been able to be crowned as one of the industry’s power players.

“I first met Peter Cancro, Founder and CEO of Jersey Mike’s, through a mutual friend who grew up in Point Pleasant, New Jersey where it all started,” said Jones who started with the brand in 2007 after an extremely successful run with Domino’s, both as an executive with the brand and a franchisee. “When I joined the brand we had about 330 locations and a year later, in 2009 we started going after multi-unit franchisees with multiple brands.”

Jersey Mike’s saw a lot of success with this strategy and today boasts approximately 950 stores with another 600+ in contract. In 2015 alone, the brand is building out between 180 and 190 new locations with a projected 200 to 210 buildouts in 2016.

“Peter is an extremely fundamentally sound businessman,” said Jones. “We spend a lot of our time traveling and touring stores. He loves spending time behind the counter, interacting with customers and the staff.”

Getting your hands dirty isn’t easy for every CEO, but Cancro isn’t your everyday CEO. He’s a power player. It’s clear that Jersey Mike’s has the recipe for success.

“I knew he had a really unique product and was already seeing success when I joined,” said Jones. “What made him successful with his first store is what makes us successful today.”