Jimmy John’s

by Violette Sproul

The story begins with two friends, Matt Thomas and Kent Knautz, sitting at a bar outside of Chicago, contemplating life and business.  Matt was tired of selling stock options, discovered that Kent was seeking a new venture, and a partnership was formed.  But what would that venture be?  A trip down college memory lane provided the answer.

Matt attended the University of Illinois and during his years as a student, he worked delivering pizza (a staple of the college diet).  He recalls glancing at the next-door business and noting its popularity.  The name of that business next door was Jimmy John’s – and now you can see where this is going.

After cementing the business partnership over a few beers, Matt and Kent opened their first Jimmy John’s store in Chicago in February 2005.

The Jimmy John’s concept started in Charleston, Illinois in 1983 and has grown into a restaurant franchise that now counts 680 stores - with more on the way. The fundamental concept centers around one word – fresh. “What makes Jimmy John’s different from the rest,” according to their website, “is that it’s honest, it’s damn good, it’s damn fast, at a decent price!”  All items on the Jimmy John’s menu are real with no fake stuff-no additives, no vegetable-based fillers and freshly sliced right on the spot. (Freshly baked bread on a daily basis…a big plus). 

Matt and Kent did so phenomenally well, the next goal became store number two. They researched and viewed the Chicago market, but low and behold, the market was already saturated with Jimmy John’s.  They had two new territory options, Texas and Florida.  Matt had been a habitual tourist of Miami for long weekends and knew how much he loved South Florida.  So the move was set in motion, and two guys living in Chicago, headed down south exchanging heavy winter coats for light and airy shirts.

So why choose DWNTWN? They were searching for a location that would provide their brand a diverse sub loving demographic that appreciates fast and fresh. “Having the location we have, across from the court house and in between all the large buildings, paired with the local schools, has truly turned out to be the best location for us” said Matt. 

As smooth as the transition was for Matt to go from selling stock options to operating a Jimmy John’s in Chicago, so was the transition from the brutal cold to the warm sunny skies.  Matt lives in Brickell, and he does bring a bit of work home.  But when he’s not working, he’s on the field playing soccer or at the beach, or you might find him at Finnegan’s on the River, just relaxing.  He recently purchased a new bike and commutes to work on 2 wheels instead of 4. (It’s quite a transition from snow plow to bike treads.)

Downtown Jimmy opened in December 2008 and truly kicked off in January after the holiday break. It has been a whirlwind of activity for these two ever since and they are still growing strong.  “We cater to a diverse group of customers that vary from attorneys to court reporters to students that attend school at MDC – so I guess we cater to everyone,” says Matt.

The most popular menu item is the Italian club full of ham, salami and capicola. One of the ways Jimmy John’s caters to their neighborhood is by offering their delivery service with just the purchase of a sandwich (approximately $5.75).  “Our delivery service appeals to everyone because many times we can’t leave our office due to work even to grab a quick meal,” Matt said.  It’s not only a quick meal but they can deliver within 15 minutes as the delivery is by bicycle.  Now that’s service.

Jimmy John’s is open 6 days a week until about dinner time with a possible Sunday opening on the horizon.  They have a steady flow of traffic with a high number of repeat customers.  “Some times we can see a regular customer heading to our store and by the time they come in, we have their favorite sub already prepared and ready to go”. Who would have thought a local sub shop would also offer fast delivery and a concierge service? 

I will let you in on a secret. There are discussions of a possible one or two additional Jimmy John’s appearing in the area.  They have their eye on a few DWNTWN area hot spots to grow the Jimmy John’s fan club.  Matt Thomas has truly enjoyed every part of owning and operating  Jimmy John’s. He is grateful to his employees, to his customers and that he’s a beat in the DWNTWN vibe.