Why is Wichita so excited about Jersey Mike’s? A peek inside the long-awaited sub shop
What is the big deal about Jersey Mike’s?
That question has been oft repeated, not only by Wichita diners not in-the-know but also by me over the past three years, as e-mail after e-mail, phone call after phone call poured in, all demanding to know when the restaurant was ever going to open in Wichita.
We finally have that information: Wichita’s first Jersey Mike’s Subs opened on Wednesday at 2564 N. Greenwich, in a strip center across the parking lot from the east-side Texas Roadhouse.
On Monday, I ventured to find out why so many people are so excited about Jersey Mike’s arrival.
Chris Stong, the son of NuWay owner Neal Stong and the franchisee behind the new restaurant, invited me to a soft opening, where his employees were practicing making food for a small group of people in advance of opening day.
Stong had advised me that the sandwich to try was the No. 13 — The Original Italian — which is Jersey Mike’s signature.
The sandwich, a cold sub, was built on white bread and topped with provolone cheese, salami, pepperoni, ham, prosciuttini and cappacuolo. The sandwich maker asked me if I wanted it “Mike’s Way,” and I knew to answer “yes.” Doing so ensures that your sandwich will be topped with onion, tomato, finely shredded lettuce and “the juice,” a mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar and secret spices that Jersey Mike’s employees vigorously shake onto your sub from a brown bottle.
When I sampled the finished sandwich, I felt closer to understanding what the big deal was. The shredded lettuce that Jersey Mike’s puts on its cold subs sops up the zingy “juice,” and you can’t stop eating it.
Growing up, I got subs like this from a little sub shop in the basement of Dodge City’s Village Square mall, and I still dream about them. Even a plain old Jersey’ Mike’s turkey sub becomes special when made Mike’s Way.
Another difference might be that Jersey Mike’s slices all the meats when you order the sandwich. There’s a giant slicer at the beginning of the line that someone is always operating, and fresher is always better.
Jersey Mike’s offers both hot and cold subs, and it has gluten-free bread as an option. Otherwise, the offerings are pretty standard: chips, soft drinks and cookies.
The new shop isn’t huge: It seats about 35, but it has a nice Jersey Shore decor complete with wood tables and chairs. Stong says he signed a multi-store deal with Jersey Mike’s, and he hopes to eventually open more stores in Wichita.
Jersey Mike’s has more than 2,000 restaurants open and under development across the United States. The chain has been teasing Wichita for three years, which is why I’ve received all those desperate e-mails.
It was early 2017 when a group of franchisees first announced that they’d be bringing several Jersey Mike’s to the market. But they soon got tied up opening Jersey Mike’s restaurants in Lincoln, Nebraska, so their Wichita plans were delayed.
In the meantime, they lost the rights to be the exclusive franchisee for the Wichita area, opening the door for Stong.
Wichita’s new Jersey Mike’s will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. For more information, call 316-364-3777.
Jersey Mike’s menu
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 11:12 AM.
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