Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

March 13, 2008 issue

 

Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches Franchise Coming to Downtown Boone

Story by Sam Calhoun

The corner of King Street and Appalachian Street in downtown Boone is about to get gourmet. According to a representative from Jimmy’ John’s corporate headquarters, a franchise of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is coming to Boone by the end of the summer and will be located in the former home of Carolina Business Machines at 525 West King Street.

The representative said that a lease has been signed for the building and that construction will begin in June after blueprints are completed. The restaurant is expected to open by the end of the summer, said the representative.

Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is a franchised sandwich restaurant owned by Jimmy John Liautaud, who founded the company in 1983. Six hundred and sixty franchises of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches are now open in America, with many locations in college towns, according to the franchise’s corporate headquarters in Champaign, Ill.

The menu at Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches features an array of 8-inch sub sandwiches made with homemade French bread, fresh vegetables, meat and cheese; club sandwiches served on homemade 7-grain bread with specialty meats, cheeses and sauces; potato chips; pickles; avocado spread; soda; and cookies.

“Every store offers exactly the same food and drinks [as other franchises],” said the representative.

Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches also caters, offering box lunches, platters and special party orders. According to the company’s website, all of Jimmy John’s products, with the exception of produce, are delivered by a national distributor to the store on a weekly basis. Vegetables, though, are purchased from local sources and delivered to the store daily.

For more information, click to www.jimmyjohns.com.