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8 OUR YUCAIPA | SEPTEMBER 2015 Jersey Mike's Gives Back to Yucaipa By Natalie Palmer Jersey Mike's Subs in Yucaipa opened in March 2014 and has quickly become a Yucaipa favorite. The restaurant not only makes delicious sub sandwiches, but also regularly steps up to help support the town's schools, sports teams, and charities. Franchise owner Jordan Andrian believes in giving back and puts his money where his mouth is by feeding the high school football team, sponsoring a softball banner, donating to Relay For Life, and even feeding Completive Edge Charter School students on their way to a Yosemite field trip. "My thinking is 'it's easy to help. So it's crucial to do it,'" said Andrian. "We have a commitment at Jersey Mike's Subs to being good to people and doing the right thing." In addition to trying to accommodate almost every request for help, the restaurant also hosts a "day of giving" each March, where 100 percent of the days proceeds go to a local charity. "I'll be honest, sometimes we take a bruising financially, but we also get the opportunity to help, and we get a lot of people to taste and love our food," said Andrian. Loving it is easy. Jersey Mike's Sub's sandwiches, wraps and salads are each made fresh to order, with high quality meat, fresh local vegetables, and bread that's made fresh in the store each day. "We do everything the hard way," said Andrian. "We wash it, cut it and prepare it from scratch each and every day." The staff here at Our Yucaipa Magazine tried the Number 9 Club Supreme sandwich and give it a unanimous thumbs up. "It was very good and fresh," said Account Executive Stacey Parr. We had the layered meat sandwich "Mike's Way" which comes with onions, lettuce, red wine vinegar, olive oil and a blend of spices. The balance was right on, and sharing a "giant sized" sandwich was perfect for three women. I also had an oatmeal raisin cookie, made fresh in the store, and it was the best cookie I have ever had (sorry mom). "Our customers really seem to appreciate that it's a healthy meal compared to something covered in grease," said Andrian. Catering is also available, and Andrian said Jersey Mike's is able to offer meals for under five dollars a head. "A $55 box meal feeds 12 people and we can make anything from lunch boxes for offices to sandwiches for a bus load of people. We once fed 12,000 Amazon employees right out of our Yucaipa store," Andrian said. Meals can include cookies, chips or brownies, along with the subs and also include condiments. Andrian said he decided to open Jersey Mike's because he grew up eating the sandwiches in the chain's flagship store in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. He said he had no idea the place was nationwide until he moved to California years later and saw one in Ontario. He jumped at the chance to open one in Yucaipa, and now also has successful franchises in Moreno Valley and Redlands. In fact, Andrian said the chain has taken off at record speeds in the Inland Empire, going from eight to 30 stores in the last year and a half. "The CEO comes to the Inland Empire to take tours and try to get a feel for why they do better here than in any other territory," said Andrian. But Andrian has a hunch it's because of good employees that are hired in their own neighborhoods, and are able to pass on friendly service to folks they know. "I think our customer service really makes us unique. We build it from the manager down to the customer and really give a personal touch," Andrian said. Andrian lives in Beaumont with his wife Lacey, son Ethan, 4, and baby Everette, 1. "My wife has been very supportive and it's a team effort," he said. Do you know a Yucaipa business that supports our town? We'd love to feature them. Please contact us with information at 909-797-3647. Community supporter, owner Jordan Andrian Jersey Mike's Subs is at 33423 Yucaipa Blvd., near Fresh 'n Easy

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