At 19 years old, Jimmy John Liautaud dropped out of college to start his own sandwich shop. He spent 10 years perfecting his first 10 stores, before franchising his model and scaling to nearly 3,000 Jimmy John's locations nationwide. Then the government almost destroyed it.
This week, we sit down with the billionaire sandwich king to discuss his remarkable journey, the impact of government policy, and the consequences of elections. We dive into the business model that made Jimmy John's a national success, and how the Department of Labor under President Obama changed the regulations, sued his stores, and eventually caused him to sell the business. He now encourages business leaders to stand up and speak out, and explains why he's backing President Trump in the upcoming election.
He shares a wealth of lessons learned, including the qualities he looks for in managers and how he can tell if a restaurant will succeed or fail by looking at the front door. Along with his personal success, he's also created hundreds of millionaires within the company, including many who started as sandwich makers, and he donates millions to wildlife preservation and scholarships for disadvantaged youth. Jimmy loves his country, his family, and his community; he's a true American success story and you'll see why.
00:00 Episode Intro
01:40 The first Jimmy John's store
05:05 How Jimmy scaled nationwide
07:03 How government almost ruined his business
13:17 Why every election matters
18:39 Want to win? Nail the details
21:10 Turning around failing stores
23:59 Minimum wage & AI + robots
29:49 Final advice for entrepreneurs
Ep 97: Jimmy John Built a Restaurant Empire; Government Almost Destroyed It