Jimmy John's

Real time friend, Best Bets, lives up to her blogname. On her blog she gives tips on how to save $ at the grocery store, when to get a free lunch at KFC and where to find full sized menu subs for a dollar. Thanks to her, Fashionista and I took part in a feeding frenzy at the grand opening of a new Jimmy John's gourmet sandwich shop on Saturday.

The parade of locals waiting for $1 subs numbered somewhere in the 30's, so we were a bit skeptical about how long it might take to get our lunch. But this franchiser was prepared. Employees worked the line, asking customers for their orders, writing selections on post-its and giving instructions to hand the sticky note to the cashier when we got up to the counter. We were out of the freezing Michigan mid-May temperatures and inside the toasty sandwich shop within five minutes.

We pushed in just as Elton John blasted over the stereo- "she's got electric boots.. (while Fashionista and I simultaneously burst out with) ELECTRIC BOOBS!" (I had told her about a comment on 2nd Cup of Coffee's funny post on butchering song lyrics) Yeah, people sorta looked, but it was a sandwich party in there. We blended in. Jimmy Johnny's plastic gloved hands were shoving meat and cheese into buns lickity split. Lettuce was flying. But customers were not impatient, the key to success is all in their signs.

Right off the bat, there's the, 'Want a faster sandwich, make it yourself ' sign. I think people respect that; mom's sure get it and it defines the necessary level of expectation. Next, learn about the low carb option of the Unwich, your sandwich of choice minus the bread. How do you eat that? Read another sign. 'Don't unwrap it, don't unwrap it, do not unwrap it...' Simple. (It's a lettuce wrap, so unwrapping it would be disasterous) 'Want onions, say "loaded", want hot peppers, say "with pep"'. All confusion eliminated, the patron is well prepared to order.

My favorite sign is the one that says something to the effect of, 'okay, so our sandwiches are not really gourmet and we aren't even French, but our subs are tasty, so let's go with that....' Honesty is hard to come by these days. I like it. JJ is a fun place to get a sandwich. And why not, after all, as the sign will tell you...

"Your mom wants you to eat at Jimmy John's!"

(Fashionista enjoyed a Turkey Tom without the toms and I feasted on Totally Tuna- yummy!)
Good Eats-
Heidi