Fruitport’s very own Jersey Mike’s Subs opened just this April. “We’re Jersey Mike’s. We’re a national brand, franchised in the late ‘80s and quickly growing ever since,” said Matt Bissell, who bought into the franchise and owns the Jersey Mike’s right here on 1664 East Sternberg Road, Suite A2. After nine years of eating Jersey Mike’s and seven years of working there, Bissell has opened his first sub shop and is super excited about it.

            Jersey Mike’s makes high-quality, fresh to order sub sandwiches, said Bissell, which kind of sets them apart from some of their competitors.

            Bissell said of the chain’s ‘secret sauce’, “It’s no secret. We brag about it. We call it ‘The Juice’ here. It’s just our red wine, vinegar, and olive oil blend. It’s kind of like our house Italian dressing. But that’s what really puts the Jersey in Jersey Mike’s…It gives every sandwich a unique, I call it a ‘tang’—but [a] unique flavor.”

            According to Bissell, Jersey Mike’s number one bestseller is the #13, Original Italian, with five different types of meat—three hams, salami, pepperoni—and provolone cheese. The sub shop sells more of that than any other sandwich on the menu, here at this store and nationwide.

            Being a sandwich shop, Jersey Mike’s takes the time to make their giant sub sandwiches just right. “Come and get a sandwich, a bag of chips,” said Bissell. “We’ve got cookies, brownies, desserts, and things like that, but we try to focus on what we do and just do it really well, to the best of our abilities.”

            Bissell and his crew also put their best into customer service. “There’s a lot of things I love,” he said, “but, honestly, I love customer service, and I love taking care of our customers, and just being able to bring a smile to people’s faces. So that’s my ultimate goal, and that’s what keeps me coming here and making sandwiches every day.”

by Kate and Calvin Holtrop: Published in the Fruitport Area News, 2021, November Issue, page 5