March 26, 2019

Jersey Mike’s Subs is expanding to Sioux Falls.

The national chain is being franchised by Andrew Ticknor and his family. They’re also the owners of Record Keepers, a record storage facility.

Ticknor’s father, Greg, is the president of Total Card Inc. and along with his brother, Jim, once co-owned Prime Time Burgers in Sioux Falls, which became Burger Time.

“And I was a line cook at a restaurant in Minnesota during college, so we’re new to franchising, but we’re very excited about it,” Andrew Ticknor said.

“We travel quite a bit, and I’ve always stopped and gotten Jersey Mike’s, and I love the quality of the ingredients. When you walk in, everyone is always so friendly, and I always thought it was a well-run operation and that we needed one here.”

Jersey Mike’s has been looking for a Sioux Falls franchisee for years. The concept sells hot and cold subs and wraps, chips and desserts. Its signature sauce is a red wine vinegar and olive oil blend. There are more than 1,500 locations nationwide.

“One Saturday last year, we were watching college football and start seeing ad after ad and just thought we’ve got to bring it here,” Ticknor said.

They started looking online and discovered there was a franchise meeting in Minneapolis the following week,

“We jumped in the car and drove up there and met the guys, and they loved us at first sight and we loved them,” Ticknor said.

“A couple weeks later they called and said ‘Jersey Mike’s is yours if you want it.’ ”

The hope is to open the first one this summer and ultimately have three locations. The Ticknors are working to lease the first site.

“We’ve been patiently waiting for Jersey Mike’s to make it to town,” said Ryan Tysdal of Van Buskirk Cos., who represents Jersey Mike’s in South Dakota. “Like many national restaurants and retailers, securing a local franchisee is the key to entering a market like Sioux Falls.”

Jersey Mike’s restaurant interiors are reminiscent of an oceanside boardwalk in New Jersey, including surfboards, retro wall decor, galvanized light fixtures, slat wood walls and an airy color palette.

Tysdal has been working with Jersey Mike’s for almost four years, he said.

“It has taken a lot of patience – and we’re excited to finally welcome Jersey Mike’s to Sioux Falls,” said Tysdal, who has met franchise development representatives annually at the RECON retail convention in Las Vegas.

“We’d meet each May at the convention in Vegas to discuss development progress in South Dakota. They’ve just been waiting on securing the right franchisee. I’m really excited for Andrew and his team.”

Tysdal took the president of Jersey Mike’s, Hoyt Jones, on a tour through Sioux Falls a couple of years ago.

“It was incredibly helpful to tour the market with Hoyt, so we knew what kind of locations would be best for Jersey Mike’s. You will see Jersey Mike’s in ‘A’ locations,” he added.

Ticknor is starting to recruit for management positions. He can be reached at [email protected].