9 Things Jimmy John's Employees Know That Customers Don't

Back in the 1980s, Jimmy John's opened its first-ever sandwich shop in Charleston, Illinois. And, given there are currently more than 2,700 locations, the business obviously proved to be a big hit. Today, it's still slinging sandwiches across the country, competing with the likes of other sandwich giants like Subway and Jersey Mike's.

If you're a Jimmy John's regular, you might assume that you know all there is to know about the chain. However, the people who know the most are, of course, the ones who spend their lives behind the scenes: The employees. But we weren't satisfied with not letting them share that knowledge. So, we took a little trip to the Jimmy John's corner of Reddit to figure out what these workers know that humble customers don't.

Below are the findings of our very serious investigation into the sandwich chain. Just a warning, you're about to encounter some seriously strong feelings about bread. Specifically, French bread. And also salt and pepper. Let's go.

Let's be honest, if you're chowing down a sandwich from Jimmy John's, you're probably going to make a mess. At the very least, you're going to have a little sauce on your chin (and hopefully not down the front of your shirt, but it happens). So, with that in mind, you'd think that Jimmy John's would automatically give out napkins with every order. Surprisingly, that is not the case.

In fact, according to some employees, they're actually not supposed to give customers napkins unless they specifically ask for them. "Napkins are only put in by request, so you have to ask when you order and then hope they don't forget," said one employee on Reddit. That said, other stores do give out at least one napkin with every order, so policies seem to vary from location to location. Still, if in doubt, ask. Nobody wants to be caught short with a dollop of dressing on their trousers.

Jimmy John's has a pretty extensive menu. There are regular sandwiches, wraps, Jimmy John's toasted sandwiches, and sometimes, there are even Picklewiches (yes, that's genuinely a sandwich made with pickles). While most of its menu items come with a unique set of toppings, you can customize them any way you like. Some already know this and take advantage of it, but not everyone does. If you're hesitant, we reiterate: Seriously, there are no rules.

If you want to add tuna to your roast beef sandwich, you can absolutely do that (that is a real order request). In fact, many employees have shared all of the weird and wonderful requests they have received from customers on Reddit. "The other day [I] made a kickin ranch chicken wrap with add tuna, add roast beef, extra horseradish, extra fried onions," said one employee.

So don't be shy if you've got a strange craving, the chances are they've seen it all before (and if they haven't, well, it might end up on Reddit). "Insane orders don't upset us," added another employee. "Get what makes you happy." However, employees highlighted that if you order a strange combination and you don't like it, they won't be taking any complaints. You have been warned.

Bacon is a staple ingredient at Jimmy John's, and it appears in a few different menu items, including the Jimmy Cubano, the Club Lulu, and the J.J.B.L.T. As we've highlighted, you can also choose to add bacon to anything you like, but note that the amount you get depends on what you order. 

According to employees, if you ask for a Slim Bacon (which is technically a secret menu item), you'll get six slices. If you order the Cubano, you'll get no more than four, likely because that particular sandwich is already stacked with plenty of other ingredients, including ham and provolone cheese. If you ask for extra bacon, note that this is usually three slices.

Even if they wanted to give you more, employees aren't allowed, because everything is strictly portioned. "Unfortunately we count the bacon strips every week," said one worker on Reddit. "Yes every single bacon strip."

It's time to discuss the secret menu. While it's not spoken about that much, it really exists, say employees. Beyond Slim Bacon, other secret menu items include the Noah's Ark and the Chuck Norris. "Want double meat on your Gargantuan? That's a Noah's Ark," explained one Reddit user. "Don't care about the double meat, but want some GD tuna and bacon on that Gargantuan? Ask for a Chuck Norris."

For the uninitiated, a Gargantuan is a Jimmy John's sandwich with salami, capocollo, turkey, roast beef, ham, provolone, salad, oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, and oregano-basil. It fits the name, right? The Gargantuan is actually pretty divisive, and not everyone enjoys it. We actually named it as one of the Jimmy John's sandwiches you should think twice about ordering, largely because of all the meat. But hey, if that's your thing, maybe you'd enjoy the Noah's Ark.

According to Redditors, other secret menu items include the Barracuda, which is a Gargantuan with tuna, and the California Club, which is The Veggie sandwich with added bacon. There's also the Little Thrifty, which is a Little John sandwich with extra vegetables and Freebies (we'll come on to those next).

In this economy, many of us have our eyes peeled for free stuff. If you're a bargain hunter, Jimmy John's employees say you should ask about the chain's selection of free toppings, which are always available but change regularly. "When you stop in next, ask about our freebies," said one employee in response to a customer who was upset about the price of their sandwich. "We offer quite a few things to personalize the sandwich to your liking!"

That said, beware of falling into the trap of asking for all of the Freebies in one go. As you might end up with quite an odd mix. Often, several sauces are on the Freebies menu, and they might not be super complimentary. "I won't accept "all freebies" as a request," said one employee on Reddit. "I point to the list and make them read off what they actually want. Mixing all the sauces together sounds gross AF."

If you want your lunch to be totally free of animal products, you might look at the Jimmy John's menu and feel pretty disappointed. There are some vegetarian choices, including the aptly titled sandwich, The Veggie, but it's not plant-based because it comes with provolone cheese and mayonnaise. There's also the Little John 6, but again, it's made with cheese and mayonnaise.

However, do not despair, because employees say there are ways to make a vegan sandwich at Jimmy John's if you know what you're doing. "We used to have a vegan/vegetarian regular that would order the #6 with no cheese, add peppers, sprouts and sauce, double all her vegetables (this is free) and add avocado (75 cents at my store)," said one worker on Reddit. "It always looked good and definitely healthier than most options."

Other stores have created their own vegan secret menu options. For example, one worker says that they used to offer The Vegan Unwich, which, for all intents and purposes, was a lettuce wrap with vegetables, mustard, and extra sauces and herbs. "People would come in drunk and say "I'm a vegan what can I eat" and we'd just serve them that," they explained. Apparently, everyone loved this option.

As we've explained, there are a lot of toppings, extras, and Freebies available at Jimmy John's. You can load up your sandwich with everything from avocado spread and tuna salad to shaved Parmesan, cucumbers, crispy fried onions, sliced pickles, and beyond. But there are two things you can't have (in most stores anyway), and that's salt and pepper.

Yep, the most basic seasonings are not widely available at this sandwich chain. According to some employees, this is because the bread is already pretty flavorful, and it simply doesn't need it. If you do want seasoning, there is the option to add oregano and basil. That said, while some employees agree that salt and pepper aren't necessary, others aren't so keen on the decision not to offer it. "I always feel shame when I have to tell customers that we are a sandwich shop that doesn't carry salt and pepper," said one employee on Reddit.

Just a heads up, if you regularly ask for French bread at Jimmy John's, there's a chance your server will be laughing internally. That's because all the sandwiches at this chain are made with French bread, unless you specifically request another option (like sliced wheat or a lettuce wrap). You can say it if you want to, but it's redundant. 

So, on this subject, you absolutely should specify if you want sliced wheat bread. If you don't, and you just say bread, you'll get French, and your server might not have that much sympathy when you complain. Or they might just laugh. "It's funnier when they say, "Can I get that on the bread? [Nine] times out of ten they mean wheat bread, as if French bread isn't bread," explained one employee.

Some even claim they deliberately serve French bread to customers who only say "bread" to refer to wheat bread — just to teach them a lesson. You have been warned. "[IT'S] ALL BREAD," pointed out another frustrated worker. "Could even argue that the tortillas are technically bread."

If you've been a Jimmy John's customer for a long time, you might remember the phrase "Jimmy It Up". If those three words mean nothing to you, we'll briefly explain: Basically, there used to be signs posted on the walls instructing you to say "Jimmy It Up" if you wanted your server to add ingredients like onions, sauce, peppers, and oregano to your sandwich. It was probably inspired by Jersey Mike's, a rival chain where customers are instructed to say "Mike's Way" if they want their sandwich made with certain toppings. 

Anyway, while is still a widespread thing at Jersey Mike's, "Jimmy It Up" isn't advertised in all Jimmy John's stores. But here's the thing: You can still say it in most places if you want to, and some servers (probably the older ones, to be honest) will know what you mean and make your desired sandwich.