Jimmy John's Almost Sold A Completely Different Type Of Food

By now, pretty much everyone has heard of Jimmy John's and its gourmet subs. But what most don't know is that, before Jimmy John's became synonymous with sandwiches and "freaky fast" delivery, founder Jimmy John Liautaud had something else in mind: hot dogs. That's right, Jimmy John's was almost a hot dog joint. According to an interview with Forbes, when Liautaud graduated high school, his father offered him $25,000 to start a business. The condition was that he'd give his father 48% ownership if the business was a success. If it wasn't, he'd enlist in the military.

Hot dogs, an American classic, seemed like an affordable way to break into the food industry. But after doing some research, he realized that the equipment was going to be too expensive. Not to mention, hot dogs wouldn't generate enough profit to keep the business afloat. Not wanting to give up his goal of being a business owner, he needed a new idea. The alternative? A sub shop run out of a converted garage.

Moving on from the initial hot dog idea, Liautaud opened his first Jimmy John's shop in Charleston, Illinois in 1983. He wanted to keep it simple, with only four sandwiches on the menu. The shop was close to Eastern Illinois University, so he would charge 25 cents a sandwich to deliver the subs to college students' dorm rooms. In the restaurant's first year, Jimmy John's brought in $154,000 in sales, with Liautaud netting $40,000 in profit. The next year did even better, which allowed him to buy out his dad's share by repaying the $25,000 startup loan plus interest.

And the rest is history. Today, Jimmy John's is known for its gourmet subs and quick delivery, now operating 2,802 locations throughout the U.S. So next time you're taking a bite out of a J.J. Gargantuan or Italian Night Club, just think–Jimmy John's was only one frank away from you having a completely different lunch.