Jersey Mike’s Subs first opened in the sea-side town of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, in 1956, when there were very few franchise restaurants or hamburger chains, and no chain pizza, chicken or taco restaurants. They were also offering a relatively new item in American society – the submarine sandwich.
To survive and thrive, they had to offer exceptional quality products, coupled with unparalleled service. That is what they still offer today, with over 1500 restaurants, nation and world-wide, and growing.
I first heard of Jersey Mike’s Subs when I noticed that they were one of the companies that sponsors the shipment of wreathes from Maine across the nation to cemeteries in many locales, including El Dorado County, as a part of the Wreathes Across America program.
This program provides balsam fir wreathes to place on the graves of veterans nationwide and started in 1992 when Morrill Worcester, the owner of Worcester Wreath Co. in Maine, found he had 5,000 extra wreaths. Rather than letting them go to waste, he gave the wreaths as a gift of thanks for the service and sacrifice made by our nation’s military so he could live freely to work and raise his family. He could never have foreseen then how this simple gesture would ignite a passion in the hearts and souls of millions of Americans many years later.
Sixteen years later, on Saturday, December 16, 2017, at 1,422 participating locations nationwide, grateful Americans in every state placed more than 1,565,000 remembrance wreaths on veteran’s graves.
At Arlington National Cemetery alone, 244,700 wreaths (one for each marker there) were placed by more than 75,000 volunteers.
To accomplish this feat, nearly 500 truckloads of wreaths were transported across the country through a network of hundreds of volunteer drivers, donated trucking and diesel, and countless hours of dedicated volunteers committed to the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach.
About a week ago I stopped by the Jersey Mike’s Subs in Folsom on my way home from my daughter’s house in Carmichael. I had been at her house both to visit and to watch my 10 year old grandson in his first acting role as Jack in the Chautauqua Playhouse’s Children’s Theatre production of “Jack and the Beanstalk.” It was wonderful.
Some time ago I had signed up online with Jersey Mike’s and they had sent me a coupon on my birthday for a sandwich and drink. Not only were there no strings attached, like having to buy something to get the free sandwich and drink, the coupon could be used anytime up until the day before my next birthday.
I had looked over their menu prior to arriving and, as you know, I am always fascinated by the different ways restaurants make their Reuben sandwich: corned beef, pastrami, different dressings, etc. So, I ordered theirs, a Grilled Pastrami Reuben, with pastrami, Swiss cheese and 1000 Island dressing.
It was good, and very hot when it was delivered to me. It was different, with thin slices of grilled pastrami, but easily in my top ten percent.
Their menu is very large, and all the sandwiches are made in front of you from the freshest ingredients. You can choose from around a dozen different Hot Subs, a like number of Cold Subs and a half dozen Signature Wraps.
Since they are “Northeast Style,” many of them are only available from them, like the Jersey Shore’s Favorite stacked with provolone, ham, and cappacuolo or the Cancro Special, custom made for a Pepsi delivery man and containing Provolone, roast beef and pepperoni.
To accompany your delicious sandwich they have fountain drinks, bottled drinks (including crafted “Stubborn Sodas”), bottled water, “Life Water,” juice, cookies, brownies and chips.
Their complete menu and much more information can be found at www.jerseymikes.com.
There are six Jersey Mike’s in the greater Sacramento area. Our nearest is at 703 E. Bidwell Street in Folsom (near Raley’s and next to Smashburger). It is open daily from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and can be reached by telephone at (916) 817-8860.
In addition to their support for Wreathes Across America and other organizations, March was their “Month of Giving,” and on March 28, one hundred percent of the sales from the Folsom store went to the UC Davis Children’s Hospital. Their other stores did likewise for different organizations and charities.
Nice business, friendly people and good food. What else do you need?