by Jessica Pope
Educated by cookbooks he checked out from the library, Jimmy John Liautaud perfected his award-winning bread recipe through trial and error from inside his own kitchen. He eventually created four gourmet sandwiches, which he tested on members of his family and circle of friends.
In 1983, Liautaud opened the first Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches in Charleston, Illinois. Before long, he followed that location with the opening of several hundred other ones through the franchise method of expanding a business.
Liautaud’s story may sound like a simple one, but it was only through his unwavering determination and drive and sense of humor that he found a way to make his dreams come true and his business a success. At one point, armed with free sandwiches, he supposedly took to the streets to give people in his neighborhood a taste.
It must have worked because Liautaud boasts 690 or so — and counting — locations of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches, including one opened in late August at 1337 Baytree Road, Suite H, in Remerton Square. Due to its immediate success locally, Claire Davis, manager, says there has already been some talk of opening a second location in the area.
“People seem to really enjoy the atmosphere that we create,” she says. “It’s very different. We have our music (rock music) blaring. The staff is always having a good time. We do our best to keep things upbeat and fun, and our service is really fast. One of the key things about Jimmy John’s is that ... we give you food that is great quality that we prepare fresh ... and you can come in and be in the store a minute and have your order ... It’s like fast food ... but it tastes so much better.”
Davis says that the definition of “fresh” at Jimmy John’s is worlds apart from everyone else’s. Bread is baked in-house every day. Meat and veggies are sliced fresh in-house every day. The turkey is real turkey. The roast beef is real roast beef. Nothing is delivered pre-sliced.
Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches offers a small delivery area that caters primarily to the Valdosta State University campus, Remerton, South Georgia Medical Center and everyone in between.
“Sometimes people question our limited delivery area,” Davis says. “But we really cannot go further than that. The Jimmy John’s motto is ‘Subs so fast you’ll freak.’ We cannot deliver a sub so fast you’ll freak if you live several miles away with all the red lights. We cannot stay true to our promise.”
• Jimmy John’s is located at 1337 Baytree Road, Suite H, in Remerton. It can be reached by calling (229) 333-9747.
• Jimmy John’s is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. At press time, plans were in the works to expand closing to 3 a.m. to maintain pace with the surrounding bars.
• With party platters, party subs, gourmet chips, gourmet cookies, box lunches and pickle buckets, Jimmy John’s boasts fresh, gourmet catering. “No crowd too big. No hunger too great. No fancy too schmancy.”
• Fans can join the Jimmy John’s Subculture and become a sub nation patriot — benefits range from specials to events to news to JJ schwag — online at www.jimmyjohns.com. A full menu and “fun stuff” can be found on the site as well.
