Chances are you’ve heard of Jersey Mike’s. More than 90% of surveyed consumers have. Getting them to actually order a sub? That’s the hard part.
The chain’s customer base has long skewed older, male, and higher-income, CEO Charlie Morrison said on a recent earnings call, according to QSR. To reach younger diners, women, and Hispanic guests, Jersey Mike’s is finally going digital. “Before 2026, the company really had no investment in digital marketing efforts of any kind,” Morrison said. That’s out of an ad budget topping $200 million a year.
This year, about 20% of that money went to paid social, search, and connected TV. And the effects are showing. Loyalty sign-ups are up 21%, and digital now accounts for 43% of sales.
Limited-time offers help, too: roughly half the people who bought Mike’s Hot Italian during its first run were new to the brand. Same-store sales rose 3% in the third quarter, up from 2.3% the quarter before, and systemwide sales climbed 11% to $1.2 billion. Turns out a sub shop founded in 1956 can still learn new tricks.