Did Jersey Mike's Actually Start In New Jersey?

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Among the various sandwich chains out there, Jersey Mike's ranks highly. And since 1956, the shop has grown to become the 3rd-largest sandwich chain in the United States with some of the highest quality ingredients. Is long tenure and accomplishments raises the question of how it was started and whether Jersey Mike's actually began in New Jersey. Well, the answer is a firm yes, it originated in its namesake New Jersey. In fact, the business is so deeply entwined with the Garden State, that it's headquarters remain there, and the Mike in the chain's name refers to a real person who lived in the brand's home state. 

Unburying the truth of how Jersey Mike's started, one learns that the sandwich shop opened about 70 years ago as Mike's Giant Size Submarine Shop in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. The business was named after its owner and founder, Michael Ingravallo, a Jersey native who opened and operated the original shop and leased out various other Mike's locations, focusing on the Jersey Shore area. Eventually, Ingravallo sold the Point Pleasant location to new owners; and their ultimate successor, Peter Cancro. 

As a teen, Cancro was hired to help out around the store and make sandwiches and soon developed a love for the establishment and its customers. After learning the owners wanted to sell off the business, Cancro got an idea. He enlisted the help of his football coach (who doubled as a banker) to take out a $125,00 loan, and purchased the original Mike's at just 17 years old, renaming it Jersey Mike's in 1987.

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Since rebranding, Cancro has expanded Jersey Mike's from its modest New Jersey roots to more than 3,000 U.S. locations as of 2024, with a global presence to boot. To date, Jersey Mike's has had locations in Australia and currently has 21 locations in Canada through a partnership with Redberry Restaurants. Although Cancro has sold ownership of the company to investment company Blackstone Inc., the Jersey native remains with the company as chairman and is heading a European expansion into Ireland and the United Kingdom, with the first location opening this year.

Despite its impressive heritage and international reach, it's interesting to note that the state with the most Jersey Mike's locations is California with 410 stores, rather Jersey which has the fifth most shops at 147. That said, Jersey Mike's does remain true to its history, headquartered in New Jersey. It's even given back to its community by partnering with Make-A-Wish New Jersey since 2011. Jersey Mike's also signed a landmark 20-year deal with New Jersey's Rutgers University, which renamed its athletic venue the Jersey Mike's Arena in 2021. Both moves exemplify not only Jersey Mike's charitable heart, but also further solidify the brand's legacy and connection with its home state for decades to come.