Here Are 5 Facts You Need to Know Before Investing in Jimmy John's, Our 5th Best Franchise You Can Buy From the cost of doing business to trends in the franchise, here are five facts to help you determine if a Jimmy John's franchise is for you.
By Matthew McCreary •
Jimmy John's is the No. 5 franchise on our Franchise 500 list for a reason. It's an established brand with a positive public image that still has plenty of room to grow. That's a pretty great combination.
So, if you're ready to move on from your 9 to 5 and invest in a franchise, it's worth taking the time to see whether a Jimmy John's franchise makes sense for your budget, location and interests.
Start the slideshow to learn about our fifth-ranked franchise.
Related: Just How Much Does It Cost to Own a Fast-Food Franchise?
Cost
Let's start with maybe the most important question when it comes to investing: Can you afford it? The franchise fee is between $30,000 to $35,000, but the total cost of starting a Jimmy John's franchise will run you somewhere between $329,500 and $557,500. That's a lot of money, but it's also less than you'd pay for other major fast-food franchises like McDonald's ($1,008,000 to $2,214,080) or Dairy Queen ($1,083,525 to $1,850,425).
The company also has relationships with third-party sources, which offer financing to cover franchise fees, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable and payroll.
After that, you'll have a 6 percent ongoing royalty fee and a 4.5 percent ad royalty fee in addition to the regular cost of doing business.
For a more detailed description of where your money is going, click here.
Training
In order to run a Jimmy John's franchise, you'll need to complete 16 hours of training at headquarters in Champaign, Ill. Then, you'll be required to do 119.5 hours of training at your location.
You also need seven weeks of training for general managers or three weeks for assistant managers.
Related: 5 Franchises You Can Buy for Less Than $18,000
Trend
Jimmy John's has added 2,141 locations from the start of 2007 to the start of 2017 -- going from 579 to 2,720 in a decade. That's about 340 percent growth in the number of locations over that time.
Why has the growth been so consistent? According to the company's website, the average net profits for a Jimmy John's franchise is $121,961 every year.
Location
According to the company's franchising site, Jimmy John's has specific requirements about what sort of building works best as a restaurant. Some of the basic necessities include having a space that's 600 to 1,800 square feet with at least 20 feet of frontage (street access), in an area with a residential population greater than 25,000, with ample parking. You also need to have at least a five-year lease, with three five-year options.
Related: 24 Top-Ranked, Affordable Franchises You Can Buy for $25,000 or Less
Support
What are you actually getting for your investment, other than a sandwich store? Jimmy John's will help its franchisees with purchasing co-ops, as well as through its newsletter, meetings, toll-free line, security and field operations. Plus, it will help with the grand opening.
You also get Jimmy John's marketing support, whether that's through regional or national media, co-op advertising or ad slicks.
If you want to request more information about Jimmy John's franchises, you can do that here.
