Jersey Mike’s Subs launches in Steinbach

Jersey Mike’s Subs opened their doors in Steinbach this week, celebrating their first Manitoba location.

Regional manager Justin Fiori, a Regina native, was here to help out the latest crew, fresh from opening the chain’s Yorkton restaurant last June.

“My plan is I’m going to wear watermelon green aprons with the Roughriders logo and the Jersey Mike logo around Steinbach all day. I’ll show up and wear green because when we do the donations for the first week (for the Make-A-Wish Foundation); and I know I am going to take heat for this, but my plan is if you make a $100 donation, I’ll wear the Blue Bomber blue apron overtop for the day; five hundred, I’ll wear it for the week. It’s all for charity drive,” laughs Fiori.

Store manager Robyn Whalen, 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry and newest to the Jersey Mike team, rolls her eyes at the football analogy but agrees with the submarine warfare attitude. “What’s going to happen is we’re going to open up and everyone’s going to try a taste of us. The (other shops) will be packing up, their signs will be coming down, they’re going back out to sea. That’s the real confidence behind the Jersey Mike colors,” said Whalen with a smile.

The Manitoba introduction for the flagship restaurant, located at 17 Market Blvd. opened this week.

Proceeds from the shop’s launch are being donated by Redberry Restaurants, which owns the Jersey Mike’s franchise. Customers will receive a special fundraising coupon during the first week and with a minimum $3 donation in exchange, they will get a free sub. “We welcome everyone in for a taste of ‘A Sub Above,’ and to help make a difference through our fundraiser with Make-A-Wish Canada,” said Redberry CEO Ken Otto.

No official word yet on Fiori’s apron idea, however Make-A-Wish Canada isn’t turning down public generosity for their organization and Jersey Mike’s is eager to make good on their pledge to raise a million dollars for them by 2030.

The Steinbach location will be the first of several planned for Manitoba in the near future, with three Winnipeg openings planned for next year. As the chain expands its operations the store here will become the training centre for staff and for operating procedures in the highly competitive industry, which has seen other sub-sandwich chains also trying to make headway in Canada.

That’s where Whalen comes into the company plan with her years of experience as a restaurateur.

“I’ve been in the hospitality industry; it’ll be 30 years this year. I’ve been in full-service restaurants. I was a general manager of Montana’s on Empress in Winnipeg. I worked at a few different places in Brandon … I opened up my own restaurant there at one point. I was a general manager of an Applebee’s out there.”

That experience and expertise in the industry is what made Whalen a prize catch for Redberry Restaurants, which also owns chains like Burger King and Taco Bell. For Whalen, Redberry’s corporate culture and structure provides both stability for her family and the opportunity to advance her career.

“I just love them. I fell in love with the higher ups who are here for you. So, when they interviewed me, I was pretty much interviewing them at the same time. But I wanted somewhere I could grow, and there is growth here in Steinbach. I can be more than a store manager,” said Whalen.

“So for me, when I met the company types, I first talked to Justin here. And then, I talked to the regional manager and then our vice president after that. And everyone was just so great. It’s such a great concept, that I was like hands down. I got to make the change to them, and because they’re growing so rapidly for my career, like the ladder’s right here to take, right?”

Mock service sittings held last weekend were deemed deliciously successful by those lucky enough to attend the invitation only sitting.

“Friday and Saturday sittings went really well. Really good feedback. Some of our guests stayed here to eat with us, so I followed up with them afterward to great reviews … a few things to tweak, but overall, it was fantastic. Some people sent me some emails back and between the fresh-baked bread and the juice? Yeah, really, really good,” said Whalen nodding towards her crew of new recruits working behind the shop’s counter.

But for Whalen and her crew of aspiring restaurateurs it’s about more than making sandwiches and actually becoming part of the community here in Steinbach while establishing the restaurant as the anchor for the company’s chain.

“I went out ‘grassrooting’ (handing out free subs and coupons to people) this morning and put three teams out. I had three drivers and put an extra team member in everyone’s vehicle, and we just went grassrooting. I went all the way up to Ste Anne and then into Blumenort while others went south; we had pinpointed a bunch of businesses, split it up into three. Us three drivers, one team member each, and went off in all directions… (they’ll) know we’re here,” said Whalen.

“I’m in the parade. They thought I was nuts. So, the Pioneer Day parade is on the 31st of this month. Yes, I signed up for it. They’re like, it’s two weeks after opening Robyn, are you nuts? And I’m like, yeah, I’m a little crazy. But yeah, I’m going to be out parading. I’ll take a couple of team members, and I got some team members that have little kids like me. So I thought, I want to bring them in the parade with me. They can blow bubbles. I’ll be giving out free sub cards. Awesome!”