Why You See So Many More Jersey Mike's Shops Than Jimmy John's

There's probably a Jersey Mike's sandwich shop in your local mall, or in that strip plaza with all of your favorite weekend shopping hot spots. If you visit another state, you'll probably also spot a Jersey Mike's in the same places, or even at the airport itself. One of Jersey Mike's main competitors, Jimmy John's, isn't nearly as prevalent in the everyday world — but why is there such a big discrepancy between the two?

While the quality of sandwiches and public opinion certainly have a lot to do with it (like our ranking of 21 popular sandwich chains), the biggest reason that you'll see more Jersey Mike's shops than Jimmy John's is because Jersey Mike's rarely closes any of its locations. Like, ever. Since Peter Cancro took over as CEO 50 years ago, only 100 Jersey Mike's stores have shut its doors or been sold. That's a minuscule 3.5% in the grand scheme of Jersey Mike's' business, in comparison to competitor Jimmy John's, which closes stores at a 10.2% rate, despite the popularity of their sandwiches.

CEO Peter Cancro is so passionate about the Jersey Mike's brand that the low closure rate has a lot to do with his personal involvement. If something isn't working out, Cancro is willing to help the owner fix the issue, find a new owner, or buy the franchise out, rather than closing the store, according to Forbes. Plus, Jersey Mike's franchise owners are almost as loyal to the brand as Cancro, given that a majority of them are previous employees. Owners spend about 360 hours in yearly training to ensure that they live, breathe, and sleep the Jersey Mike's way.

There are currently over 3,000 stores throughout all 50 states, though you'll find the most Jersey Mike's stores in California. The brand has experienced a growth rate of between 13% and 15% over the last few years, with over 1,000 new stores opening doors to hungry customers in a five-year period alone. Earlier in 2025, the majority ownership of Jersey Mike's was sold to Blackstone for around $8 billion, leaving Cancro with a 10% equity stake as the title of CEO, but fans worry that change in ownership will lead to a change in quality (even worse than the big ingredient change Jersey Mike's made to its sandwiches after COVID-19). Cancro doesn't share these concerns, and it seems that the Jersey Mike's momentum will continue in full force, so you'll likely keep spotting an overwhelming amount of more locations than Jimmy John's well into the future.