Jimmy John’s

Jimmy John’s is a sandwich chain known for its low prices and “Freaky Fast” service. As of 2021, branding centers around its fresh vegetables, all-natural meat and bread baked in-house — a trait that allowed the chain to pivot to selling loaves of bread during the early weeks of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The chain was founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in Charleston, Ill., in 1983 with a loan from his father who had given him the choice of joining the military or starting a business. Delivery was an early characteristic of the first restaurant, from which Liautaud delivered sandwiches to nearby Eastern Illinois University. Liautaud opened his second location in 1986 and began franchising in 1994. Now the vast majority of locations are franchised.

Inspire Brands purchased Jimmy John’s in September of 2019.

Headquarters: Champaign, Ill.

Segment: Fast casual

Restaurant Segment: LSR Sandwich/deli

Number of U.S. Locations: 2,759

2020 Sales: $2.18 billion

Annual Growth:

Source: Datassential Firefly 500

CEO: Jimmy John Liautaud

Parent Group: Inspire Brands