Jimmy John’s, the popular American sandwich brand, opened its first Canadian location on November 19 at 197 North Queen St., Etobicoke. Jimmy John’s comes to Canada through a partnership between Inspire Brands and Foodtastic, the Montreal-based franchisor such brands as Milestones, Pita Pit, and Second Cup. Peter Mammas, Foodtastic’s president and CEO says, “The bold flavours and diverse menu at Jimmy John’s are truly unmatched, and we’re confident they’ll keep our guests coming back for more—and bringing their friends.”
In this exclusive interview, Mammas speaks to Franchise Canada about welcoming Jimmy John’s to Canada, how prospective franchisees can get in on the ground floor, and the benefits of CFA membership.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Foodtastic already has a wide-ranging stable of brands. What does it mean to add Jimmy John’s to the roster?
We’re very excited about that. I mean, Jimmy John’s was created 40 years ago in the U.S. It’s been a tremendous success. We’re happy that we’re partnering with Inspire [Brands] to bring the brand to Canada. Here, it’s also very unique in the sense that everything’s fresher, the meat, the chicken, our bread is actually baked in-house. And something we’re introducing in Canada that they don’t do in the States is toasted sandwiches. So our sandwiches are going to come out nice and hot.
Why should prospective franchisees consider Jimmy John’s as an investment?
If you look at the Canadian landscape for sandwiches, Jimmy John’s is a cut above the rest. We have a lot of opportunities throughout the country. We’re starting off here in the GTA, moving into Alberta, so there’s a lot of opportunities. And with Jimmy John’s, the average unit volumes are actually higher than most sandwich chains in the States already, and we expect that to translate into Canada as well.
Canada already has a lot of sandwich brands with long histories and entrenched customer loyalty. How does Jimmy John’s plan to break into that?
Well, one of the secrets of Jimmy John’s is the quickness of the service. You get a higher quality sub served to you a lot quicker than anybody else. So that translates to faster speed times of service and delivery, so the sandwich is actually going to be hot—hotter and tastier.
As for franchisees, what qualities and traits does Jimmy John’s look for in a franchisee?
Basically, we’re looking for entrepreneurs. We want people that are going to put their heart and soul in it. We don’t want somebody who’s just coming in to make a financial investment. We want owner/operators in the stores that can take care of their customers, get involved in the community and make Jimmy John’s great in Canada.
So many Foodtastic brands have the benefit of being members of the CFA. How can membership benefit new brands like Jimmy John’s coming into Canada?
The CFA gives us a lot of exposure. Anybody who wants a franchise is going to look to CFA-approved brands, and Foodtastic, with all our brands, whether it’s Second Cut, whether it’s Pita Pit, whether it’s Freshii or Quesada, [the CFA] brings a lot of people over. Being a part of the CFA is also a seal of quality and approval.