Jimmy John’s subs come to Fort Myers

Seth Mankin, Kyle Littlety and Jerry McCarthy prepare sandwiches at Jimmy John’s in south Fort Myers.

Sandwich makers at the new Jimmy John’s sub shop in south Fort Myers are serving them up fresh, fast and tasty and that’s how Tim and Seth Mankin like it.

The brothers recently opened the shop on Andrea Lane after deciding that the area needed a place that reminded Seth of home.

“My brother loves Jimmy John’s, and we were looking to open a business and we found the right spot for it,” said Tim Mankin, 37, about his brother who moved to south Fort Myers from Michigan. “Jimmy John’s is huge in college towns and it has been popular here so far.”

The franchise is known for their quick service, fresh-baked bread and sandwiches that are topped with alfalfa sprouts, hot peppers and assorted meats.

“It’s the first time we came here but we like it,” said Angie Ursitti, 26, while enjoying a sub and waiting for her car to be repaired at a nearby dealership. “They told us to come here and we like it. I hope they open one in Cape Coral.”

And, so do other customers from up north who have eaten at other sub shops but say Jimmy John’s is unique.

“Jimmy John’s is a national franchise but our motto is that we get it done really quickly and all our food is designed that way,” said Mankin, of south Fort Myers, about the store that took more than five months to open. “We get a lot of customers that ate at Jimmy John’s in college and know that everything is fresh.”

Freshness at Jimmy John’s means the vegetables are cut in the store daily and the bread is baked throughout the day.

“We use the best ingredients to make the best sandwiches and that’s what people expect,” said Mankin about the shop that delivers seven days a week.

The shop offers a wide assortment of sandwiches including the J.J. Gargantuan, which has salami, ham, capicola, roast beef, turkey and provolone cheese. It’s then smothered with onions, mayo, lettuce, tomato and Italian dressing.

“We’ve been busy without doing any advertising because people know us,” Mankin said about the shop that offers catering, boxed lunches and subs starting at $4.75. “Everything is designed to be fast and they get the best sub at a reasonable price.”