My City March 2023

MYCOMMUNITY

Jersey Mike’s Subs OPENED: 2019 | jerseymikes.com

How did you get your start with Jersey Mike’s? I was born into the restaurant industry. My parents have owned and operated other restaurant chains for over 30 years, so I spent my entire life growing up in the industry and working with my family. After graduating college, I was working for a corporate restaurant chain when I had the opportunity to get into the Jersey Mike’s fran chise. After partnering with my parents in 2019, we opened our first As a former college athlete, I learned a lot about teamwork, leadership and dedication toward a larger goal. I am thankful for my previous work experiences that gave me understanding of restaurant ownership and operation in today’s environment. My success as a business owner wouldn’t be possible without my wife Anna who works alongside me, my family and our dedicated restaurant teams. “WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST PASSIONATE AND LOYAL CUSTOMERS, TO WHICH WE TRULY OWE EVERYTHING.” three locations in Fenton, Grand Blanc and Flint. What has contributed to your success? What are your plans for 2023 and beyond? This year, we plan to open our second Grand Blanc location, as well as five others across the state in the next few years. We are currently preparing for our annual Month of Giving which happens each March, raising money to be donated to the charity of our choice; this year, we chose the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. To end the Month of Giv ing with a bang, we will donate all of our March 29 sales to the Food Bank. We are very excited about this year’s Day of Giving and hope it will be our most charitable one yet! What advice do you have for new entrepreneurs? Make sure you’re passionate about what you do! Business ownership is a wonderful privilege, but it also comes with a 24/7 level of dedication.

Developing a healthy culture in your business is one of the most

important things you can do to retain your valuable employees, and to create a positive environment for customers. We have adopted a “developed from within” mentality that allows us to promote leaders in our stores, with each of our existing stores having general managers who worked their way up to their current positions. What has surprised you most about owning your business? The most surprising thing has been the number of opportunities we have been given to help the community through the business. Each one of our stores donates over $15,000 per year to local charities. We also support as many local teams, clubs and churches as we can. Our restaurants have also allowed me to give many teenagers their first job, which is a great feeling. We begin hiring at 14 years old, so being able to positively impact our employees’ lives and watch them grow is such a rewarding aspect that I never anticipated. What is great about doing business in Greater Flint? I grew up in Mid-Michigan, so being able to serve the communi ties that we operate in has been very rewarding. I was honored to be recognized last year as a “40 Under 40” nominee by the Flint & Genesee Group for my impact in the community. We are truly the definition of a locally-owned-and-operated family business. I couldn’t imagine doing business in a better community – we have some of the most passionate and loyal customers, to which we truly owe everything. We appreciate the support more than you could ever know and look forward to serving you A Sub Above!

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