Jimmy John Owner - The Facts

See This Report on Jimmy John Liautaud

I opened my very first sandwich shop in 1983 and now we have over 2,800 stores in 43 states. The dining establishment organization is tough, but I found I was proficient at something for the very first time ever, and I loved it. 18-hour work days, no days off, no vacations, and little family time this company isn't for everybody.


I never composed a company strategy and never ever anticipated my business to grow like it did. Here's one piece of guidance: outwork your competition. Be available in an hour early, stay an hour later on than the rest, and deal with Saturday. I ensure you someone will notice. Jimmy John Liautaud. I have actually worked hard, built wealth, and won some awards along the method, which's all terrific, but I see my greatest accomplishments in life as my marital relationship to my beautiful and clever spouse, Leslie, and raising our three beautiful children who have actually turned into remarkable adults.


Thanks for visiting my site and I hope you grab a nugget or more that you can use in your own life. God Bless my family, my group, and God Bless America!.


Jimmy John's Founder Jimmy John Liautaud Jimmy John Liautaud is the founder of Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches. He led the business for 36 years and turned it into one of the fastest growing chains in the nation, with over 2,800 places. Jimmy was born in Arlington Heights, IL in 1964, and was the second of four children to James and Gina Liautaud.

The Basic Principles Of Jimmy John Liautaud

By the time Jimmy was a teenager, his dad's company had begun succeeding. Although his family made it through the tough times, Jimmy dealt with a new round of challenges at Elgin Academy High School. Struggling to fit in with his schoolmates, he started avoiding classes and rebelling. In 1982, Jimmy finished 2nd to last in his class and his dad knew something had to alter.


He desired Jimmy to get, however Jimmy wished to start his own company. So, they made a deal. His dad would provide Jimmy a $25,000 loan to begin a service and if it wasn't lucrative in the very first year, Jimmy would employ. Jimmy instantly got to work on his menu and by the end of summer season, he had learned to bake bread and had 4 sandwiches that were family approved. Jimmy John Owner.


The location was best! He could serve trainees throughout the day and he might serve the late-night crowds. Jimmy ended up being a hands-on operator, making personal connections with regular customers, memorizing their names and preferred Jimmy John's sandwich orders. Working 24/7/365 settled! In his very first year, he made a $40,000 earnings, all of navigate to this website which he split with his dad.




By 1994, Jimmy John's had actually grown to 10 locations and after getting guidance from Pizza Hut franchisee, Jamie Coulter, Jimmy chose to offer his first Jimmy John's franchise. By 2002, the sandwich chain had 160 areas but practically half of them were having a hard time. Jimmy and Jimmy John's President at the time James North, set out for 18 months to work individually with franchisees and their teams, and showed them the Jimmy John's method.

The 5-Minute Rule for Jimmy John Liautaud

When they got home, Jimmy reset expectations for existing Jimmy John's franchisees and raised the requirements under which future franchisees would be approved. Making it through the tough times made Jimmy John's a stronger and more effective brand. Development began to skyrocket. In 2007, the 500th Jimmy John's opened, in 2010 its important link 1,000 th, and its 2,000 th in the fall of 2014.


In October 2019, Jimmy John's was gotten by Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant company whose present portfolio consists of more than 11,200 Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, SONIC Drive-In, Rusty Taco, and Jimmy John's places worldwide. Today, Jimmy John's has over 2,800 locations throughout the United States. In 2016, Jimmy John's was # 1 on Entrepreneurs Franchise 500 list.


Jimmy John Liautaud established his eponymous sandwich chain at age 19 with a $25,000 loan from his father. Liautaud went from investing late nights delivering subs to university student from a converted garage to operating 2,800 Jimmy John's locations before selling the company in October. Liautaud invested his $ 1. Jimmy John Liautaud. 7 billion fortune on a 50 piece cars and truck collection that includes a $2.


Liautaud's other half donated $100,000 to President Trump's 2020 project, review and the billionaire himself belongs of among the White Home's advisory groups on its economic reaction to the coronavirus.Visit Company Expert's homepage for more stories. Jimmy John Liautaud has actually built a billion-dollar fortune selling sandwiches. Considering that opening his very first dining establishment at age 19, Liautaud has grown his eponymous sandwich shop into a sub empire with over 2,000 locations. W ednesday is tasting day at Jimmy John's headquarters, and creator Jimmy John Liautaud is the taster-in-chief. He struts into the test cooking area, dressed in an untucked shirt and jeans, prepared to check the food: 10 type of sandwiches, 6 types of deli meats, potato chips and cookies. Up very first is the bread. It passes the odor test. He takes a bite and chews the bread into a paste, then spits it into the garbage." I don't desire all these calories," he says." Look at meI strive and I'm currently 300 pounds." The baguette passes the trial run also, and Liautaud proceed to a possible brand-new white chocolate chip for his cookies. Liautaud, 54, opened his very first Jimmy John's sandwich shop 35 years earlier. Today the business has more than$ 2 billion in sales from 2,802 locations, but he no longer runs the show: Jimmy John's has actually outgrown Jimmy John Liautaud. Now he responses to Roark Capital, a private equity firm based in Atlanta that purchased the bulk of the organization in 2016 in an offer that valued the chain at roughly $3 billion.