A Jimmy John's deliveryman makes a run in this file photo.Chattanooga got its third Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches shop Tuesday when the latest franchised sandwich shop opened in time for lunch in a new strip mall just off Gunbarrel Road near the Target store.
It's the seventh Jimmy John's to be opened by JAK Foods, Inc., a business headquartered at 2401 Broad St. in Chattanooga. The franchisee also has a Jimmy John's in Cleveland, Tenn., and five in Knoxville.
JAK Foods, which also runs a total of 10 KFC, A&W and Long John Silver's fast food restaurants, opened its first Jimmy John's 2 1/2 years ago, partly because company president John Kleban, appreciates the chain's "freaky fast" delivery.
"It has a true point of difference," Kleban said. "No one else can deliver products in less than 15 minutes consistently."
Chattanooga's three Jimmy John's franchises - another is downtown and another is in Hixson - all have different owners and separate delivery areas, Kleban said, that are mapped out by specialists from Jimmy John's corporate headquarters so drivers will be able deliver food quickly.
"We can't deliver outside that area," Kleban said.
He expects the new location at 7407 Igou Gap Road will be a good one. Even though Gunbarrel Road can get congested, he said there's a lot of back roads that drivers can take.
Jimmy John's quality is another plus, Kleban said.
"We bake all our bread fresh," he said. "We don't sell any of our fresh bread if it's four hours old. We slice all our own meats. We slice all our own veggies. We focus a lot of time and effort on quality."
Kleban plans to open more Jimmy John's in Knoxville, and also wants to open one in Dalton, Ga.
Kleban is a former executive for Yum Brands Inc., in Louisville, Ky., a Fortune 500 business whose brands include KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. JAK Foods Inc., has owned restaurants in Chattanooga since 2003, Kleban's wife was the former spokeswoman for Chattanooga-based Craftworks Restaurants and Breweries Inc.
The Klebans moved here from Louisville four years ago, and their three children attend Baylor School.
Founded in 1983 by Jimmy John Liautaud in Charleston, Ill., Jimmy John's says it's one of the fastest-growing franchises in the U.S. with more than 2,400 stores open in 43 states.
Contact staff writer Tim Omarzu at tomarzu@timesfreepress.com or www.facebook.com/MeetsFor Business or twitter.com/meetfor business or 423-757-6651.