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Jersey Mike ’ s Subs ( Jersey Mike ’ s ) is an American submarine ( sub ) sandwich chain with over 2700 stores and franchises across the US . Founded in 1956 in Point Pleasant , New Jersey , the business was originally known as Mike ’ s Subs , and the story behind its subsequent impressive expansion is one of dedication and making a difference .
In 1956 , the original founder identified a gap in the market for a relatively new product in America – the submarine sandwich . In 1971 , Peter Cancro , who would become the future owner , started working at Mike ’ s Subs at the age of 14 . In 1975 , the business took a turn when Peter overheard the owner discussing a potential sale of the business . At the age of 17 , before he could legally slice a sub , Peter approached his former youth football coach ( and banker ) for a loan of $ 125,000 and successfully purchased the business .
“ The loan , which would be equivalent to around $ 1 million today , exemplifies the significance of somebody believing in Peter ,” begins Michael Manzo , COO of Jersey Mike ’ s . “ I started working for Peter in the late 1970s along with my brothers , as Peter was passionate about hiring families to work in his store . He taught us how to interact with customers and spent the next decade building on the almost cult-like following Mike ’ s Subs had come to enjoy .”
With more people requesting a store where they lived , Peter embarked upon franchising in 1987 , then changing the company ’ s name to Jersey Mike ’ s Subs to reflect the history of where the business was born . “ I came out of the US Marines in 1986 and began working for Peter again shortly before the franchising operation ,” Michael reflects . “ The journey that followed had lots of ups and downs , as Peter was responsible for supporting franchisees and ensuring they had everything required to be healthy and profitable before opening the next location .”
Our concept means everything is freshly made , sliced , or grilled right before the customer , as every sub is made to order
Despite challenges along the way , Jersey Mike ’ s succeeded as a high-quality , customer centric franchise operation . Today , Peter remains CEO and Founder , but he can often be found behind the counter demonstrating his passion for both the product and the customer . In Michael ’ s view , the chain ’ s success is down to its commitment to quality ; bread is baked fresh each day , ingredients are from premium brands , and customers watch their subs being made right in front of their eyes .
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