Jimmy John's seeks additional locations throughout the Carolinas.

Jimmy John’s Makes Greensboro Debut 

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA: Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches has signed a lease for 1,675 square feet of retail space in the Shops On The Curve, which is located at 1622 Stanley Road in Greensboro, North Carolina. Other tenants in the property include Jennifer Convertibles and Carvel Ice Cream. 

Although this is the first Jimmy John’s in the Greensboro market, the chain is not new to North Carolina. The Elgin-Illinois-based company has locations in Durham and Chapel Hill. 

Divaris Real Estate is handling the expansion of Jimmy John’s restaurants in North Carolina. Denise Browning of DRE’s Charlotte office represented the tenant in the negotiations.

A staple on college campuses across the nation, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwich Shops is unlike any sub shop in the industry; no games or gimmicks, just old-fashioned, homemade sandwiches made from fresh-baked bread, all-natural meats and vegetables that are sliced daily at each restaurant. 

The chain of gourmet sandwich shops was founded in 1983 by 19-year-old Jimmy John Liautaud in a converted garage in Charleston, Illinois. With only four varieties of sandwiches and 25-cent soft drinks, Liautaud marketed his sandwiches by passing out hundreds of samples at grocery stores, laundromats and other student hangouts. Today, the company has 243 corporate and franchised locations in 27 states and two countries. 

A typical Jimmy John’s store can range from 900 to 1,600 square feet, preferably with upscale co-tenants.  Locations are considered in community strip centers, neighborhood strip centers, pad sites and outparcels, freestanding and airport/transportation centers. The customer base is decidedly young, healthy eaters, high-income teens and adults. 

The company has a stringent process for evaluating potential franchisee. Nearly 65 percent of all prospects that apply for franchises are turned down. With the fickle nature of the restaurant business, it takes passionate people who care about serving their customers a quality product.