Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches - Franchise
Quick Summary
One of the fastest growing restaurant chains in America, Jimmy John’s is now seeking multi-unit operators to fuel our growth. Homemade bread is baked fresh all day, and all-natural meats and fresh veggies are hand-sliced daily. Jimmy John’s seeks franchisees who are willing to do whatever it takes to make great sandwiches for their customers.
*Please contact "Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches" to confirm the accuracy of any information provided on this page.
Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches
Business Cost, Fees & Facts for 2026
| Minimum Cash Required | $80,000 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | |
| # of Existing Units | 2803 | |
| Training & Support | Yes | |
| Home Office Location | Champaign, IL |
Available In These States:
- AK
- AL
- AR
- AZ
- CA
- CO
- CT
- DC
- DE
- FL
- GA
- HI
- IA
- ID
- KS
- KY
- LA
- MA
- MD
- ME
- MS
- MT
- NC
- ND
- NE
- NH
- NJ
- NM
- NV
- NY
- OH
- OK
- OR
- PA
- RI
- SC
- SD
- TN
- TX
- UT
- VA
- VT
- WA
- WV
- WY
- Overview
Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches - Franchise
Jimmy John’s specializes in sandwiches and delivery – and we do it fast! Our all-natural meats* and vegetables are hand sliced in-house daily, and our bread is baked fresh all day, every day. We spend 6 hours slicing and baking every day to make 30-second sandwiches for our customers. With the prep behind us, our system is designed for fast, flawless execution.
We keep it simple – from our menu, to the marketing, to franchise management. No one else is as efficient, effective or consistent as JJ’s is in delivering a fresh-made meal for under $20.
About Jimmy John's
Jimmy John’s opened its first store in Charleston, Illinois in 1983. By 2002, Jimmy John’s had grown to 160 locations, the vast majority of them operated by Jimmy John’s franchisees.
As one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in America, Jimmy John’s currently has over 2,700 units across 43 states and lots of room to grow.
In October 2019, Jimmy John’s joined the Inspire Brands family of restaurants which also includes Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Rusty Taco, and SONIC Drive-in. Backed by the power of Inspire, Jimmy John’s is able to leverage the company’s combined resources to provide its franchisees with support across all areas of the business, from supply chain and distribution to 3rd party delivery vendors.
2020 Annual AUV for 2020 Covered Restaurants: $771,081**
About Inspire Brands
Inspire Brands is a multi-brand restaurant company whose current portfolio includes more than 11,000 Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, SONIC Drive-In, Rusty Taco, and Jimmy John’s locations worldwide. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Franchise Criteria
Jimmy John’s requires that prospective franchisees meet the following criteria in order to own and operate a Jimmy John’s store:
- Liquid Capital: $200,000
- Net Worth: $1,000,000
- Franchise Fee: $30,000 to $35,000 per store
- Initial Start Up Costs Range: $316,100 - $558,600
- Royalty Fee: 6%
- Advertising Fee: 4.5%
And most importantly, we are looking for genuine individuals who like our food and who are willing to do whatever it takes to make great sandwiches for our customers. We want prospective franchisees who have ambitions for multi-unit development and are willing to go above and beyond.
Franchise Support
Once you become a Jimmy John’s franchise owner, our team is here to support you throughout the whole process. We provide support in the areas of Real Estate, Construction, Training, Marketing, Operations, and Purchasing.
Real Estate
Our real estate team will work with you throughout the entire site selection process until you finalize a lease for your location.
Construction
We will provide you with the tools necessary to build, remodel, or relocate your store.
Training
Our training program consists of classroom and in-store training, plus 4 weeks of hands-on management experience for brand-new franchise owners. Trainees are exposed to every aspect of store management, from baking bread and slicing veggies, to learning how to manage food costs and financials.
Marketing
We are here to help you plan and execute marketing programs on a local and national level. We assist in media buying, local advertising, social media, customer service, and PR.
Operations
During the first week that your store is open, we will send an opening specialist to provide additional support. After your store opens, members of our Field Sales Force team will visit your store on an ongoing basis to provide support and feedback to ensure that your store is operating in accordance with Jimmy John's Brand Standards and to share with you the experiences of the best operators in the chain.
Purchasing
The Purchasing team works with our suppliers to ensure your store receives the highest quality products at the best prices. They also manage our nationwide distribution network, work on research and development, and help ensure that you are getting the best prices possible for the inventory you need to run your store.
* Figure reflects system-wide average gross sales for 2,675 affiliate-owned and franchised restaurants that were open during the entire period from January 2, 2019 through December 31, 2019. Of these 2,675 restaurants, 1,144 (43%) had higher sales. 2020 results have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, see Item 19 of our April 24, 2020 Franchise Disclosure Document, as amended July 24, 2020. A new franchisee’s results may differ from the represented performance. There is no assurance that you will do as well as you must accept that risk.
*All-natural means our meats are minimally processed (except for caramel color on roast beef) and contain no artificial ingredients.
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