Tickets for our live show in New York are on sale now! Get yours here. Jersey Mike’s started as a small sub shop on the Jersey Shore when a 17-year-old stepped in with big ambitions. Along the way, the company grew to several thousand locations before private equity company Blackstone bought it for $8 billion and took it to Wall Street. But its IPO comes amid struggles in the restaurant industry. WSJ’s Heather Haddon and Mark Maurer on Jersey Mike’s origins and the hurdles it will have to jump through as a public company. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Can Burger King Regain Its Crown? - How Kraft Lost Its Mac and Cheese Crown Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jersey Mike's Journey From the Shore to Wall Street

The Journal.

[SPEAKER_A] Jersey Mike's is one of America's favorite sandwich chains.

[SPEAKER_B] All right, we've got today's lunch and we've got Jersey Mike's.

[SPEAKER_C] Yo, I'm at Jersey Mike's and I've just learned about the number 99.

[SPEAKER_A] Its sandwiches are numbered and influencers online love talking about the best way to order them.

[SPEAKER_C] If you ever find yourself in a Jersey Mike's, get this order. This is the number 9 club.

[SPEAKER_D] Is this the best Jersey Mike's sandwich?

[SPEAKER_C] Damn, come on, that looks Mike's Way with avocado, jalapeño, and extra CPR, cherry pepper relish.

[SPEAKER_D] When you think of their sandwiches, they're known for being freshly made, piled high with freshly sliced meat and vegetables, and available in hot and cold. If you want a really indulgent meat sandwich, you can get it.

[SPEAKER_A] That's our colleague Heather Haddon. She covers restaurants, and by the way, her go-to order is the tuna fish.

[SPEAKER_D] So like the number 13 is the original Italian, which has provolone, ham, prosciutto, Cappuccino, salami, and pepperoni. Oh my goodness, that is so much meat.

[SPEAKER_B] The sandwich has about 730 calories, 61 grams of protein, 62 grams of carbs. So it would make the perfect post-training or post-game meal.

[SPEAKER_D] But in terms of taste and quality, Jersey Mike's is still justified.

[SPEAKER_A] Last week, this fan favorite sandwich shop took its business one step further. It went public on the stock market.

[SPEAKER_D] Jersey Mike's is looking to cash in on the market's appetite. The sandwich chain making its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange today under the ticker JMKE after raising $1 billion in its IPO. So the company—

Jersey Mike's Journey From the Shore to Wall Street

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

Jersey Mike's Journey From the Shore to Wall Street

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.