Jersey Mike’s is now open in Pocatello
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POCATELLO — A long-awaited sandwich shop chain has opened its doors.
Jersey Mike’s is now open for business in Pocatello at 544 East Benton Street next to Starbucks. It opened on Wednesday, and customers filled up the parking lot and store as they waited to try its sandwiches.
“We buy the best meats available to us, and they’re prepared fresh daily,” said Charlie Gerard, president of the Jersey Mike’s franchise in east Idaho. “I would say our product that we provide is far and above any of the competitors’.”
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Gerard said that bringing a location to Pocatello has been a work in progress since 2016. For a long time, it was hard to find a location that would be suitable for the sandwich shop.
One of the franchise’s goals was to open close to Idaho State University. When it received a call about available property where the Idaho Central Credit Union branch used to be, it “jumped at it.”
Once the time came to staff the restaurant, the franchise hired store managers who were from Pocatello rather than bringing in its own people.
“We want people involved in the community,” Gerard said.
To do this, it hired some people early and had them commute to Twin Falls to train them and prepare them to train new employees.
Besides making sandwiches, Jersey Mike’s also does fundraising for the local community. The restaurant is doing a fundraiser for Pocatello High School.
This week, Jersey Mike’s staff passed out 7,000 sandwich cards that are good for a free sub as long as the customer donates at least $3. That’s at least $21,000 that entirely goes to the high school if everyone who got a card participates and only donates the minimum amount.
People can also arrange with the store manager to raise money for a sports team, social club or activity group. On a Wednesday night, Jersey Mike’s will donate a percentage of everything it collects on that day to the receiving organization.
“A big part of what we do is giving back to the community, not just taking from the community,” Gerard said.
People who want to try a sandwich from Jersey Mike’s can get one seven days a week between the hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., besides on Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter.
Gerard understands potential customers who shrug off another sandwich shop coming to town and aren’t interested.
“Because that’s what I said — ‘Another sandwich store,'” Gerard said. “Then I went and tried the sandwiches, and they blew me away.
“We make a great sandwich and anyone who’s never tried it and is skeptical, come on in and see. We’ll prove it to you,” Gerard said.