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Liautaud stopped selling franchises for one year to give support to stores that were struggling.

However, Liautaud noticed that sales at the stores he owned were outpacing the franchised stores by a wide margin. By 2002, the company had about 200 stores, 10% of which were corporate stores that Liautaud oversaw himself. In 2001, the hundredth Jimmy John's store opened in Mt. The first franchise store opened in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In 1994, he sold his first Jimmy John's franchise, in addition to the 10 stores owned by Liautaud himself.

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Coulter mentored Liautaud and 'taught how to effectively run multiple units.' Liautaud continued opening more stores and developed a prototype before beginning franchising in 1994. In 1988, Liautaud met Jamie Coulter, who at that time was a Pizza Hut franchisee and would later become the CEO of Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon. In 1986, he opened his second store in Macomb, Illinois, and in 1987, he opened a third in Champaign, Illinois. In April 1985, Liautaud bought out his father's interest in the business, becoming the sole owner. īy the end of his first year, the restaurant started making a profit. He began by bringing samples door-to-door to the dorms of nearby Eastern Illinois University, which he had attended for one semester. Due to the poor location of his first store, Liautaud decided to include delivery of his sandwiches to boost sales. On January 13, 1983, Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches opened in Charleston, Illinois. Paying $200 a month in rent, Liautaud could only afford used equipment consisting of a refrigerator, a chest freezer, an oven, and a meat slicer. With the help of his family as tasters, he decided to put four sandwiches on his original menu. After a chance encounter at a sandwich shop, Jimmy John realized that he could open a sandwich shop within his available budget by purchasing premium meats at a neighborhood market and baking his own bread. Initially Jimmy John wanted to open a hot dog stand, but after visiting numerous such stands throughout the summer of 1982, he realized the $25,000 would not be enough for such a venture. Although his father wanted him to enlist, the younger Liautaud chose the latter, and his father agreed to loan him $25,000 in exchange for a 48% stake in the business. Jimmy John's Headquarters in Champaign, Illinois History Original Jimmy John's Shop Jimmy John Liautaud in 2018Īfter Jimmy John Liautaud graduated second to last in his class at Elgin Academy in 1982, his father gave him a choice to either join the Army or start a business.

Later, in 2019, Inspire Brands purchased the company from Roark Capital Group for an unspecified amount. In 2016, Roark Capital Group purchased a majority stake in the company. The Jimmy John's franchise has over 2,700 locations, with 98% of them being franchises. Liautaud, choosing the latter, initially decided to start a hot dog business, but was changed to opening a sandwich business due to costs. After Liautaud graduated from high school, his father gave him a choice to either join the military or start a business. The business was founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983. Jimmy John's is an American sandwich chain headquartered in Champaign, Illinois.