Jersey Mike's has come a long way since opening its first-ever location in 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore. They have grown to over 2,000 locations, earn more than $1 billion annually in sales, and, in 2019, were the fourth highest-grossing sub chain in the U.S. after Subway, Arby's, and Jimmy John's, according to Restaurant Business. This is pretty impressive when you consider that the three fast-food franchises ahead of them have considerably more stores.

One approach that sets them apart from most of their big-time competitors is that Jersey Mike's slices their meats and cheeses to order for each sandwich and never pre-packages their cold cuts. They bake their bread fresh daily and chop and prepare their veggies every day as well.