Jimmy John’s Set To Open In Oskaloosa
By Eduardo Zamarripa, CRI Weekly News
Oskaloosa, Iowa – A new sandwich chain is coming to Oskaloosa. Jimmy John’s is expected to open this fall and set up shop right next to the Shoe Department store. That’s what Jimmy John’s Pella Owner Steve Reynolds said. Reynolds will oversee the operations of both locations.
Jimmy John’s in Pella has been open since April 2011. The success of the store prompted Owner and Acting Manager Steve Reynolds into wanting to open a new location.
“Business is excellent here in Pella. We strive very hard to keep up with the business that comes at us,” Reynolds said. “We see a good percentage of people coming over from Oskaloosa. There was a great opportunity to open a store in Oskaloosa 15 miles away to support both of those communities and we thought it was an excellent opportunity.”
Choosing the location of the restaurant had a lot to do with being able to provide a drive-thru service.
“The area next to the Shoe Department happened to work out. It’s an ideal location. We really wanted to have a drive-thru,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said they originally hoped to open the new location by the time RAGBRAI came to Oskaloosa . But because they will be implementing a new Jimmy John’s concept, the process got delayed.
“It has taken a little bit longer than we expected just due to, this is going to be a new design for Jimmy John’s stores,” Reynolds said. “So it will have a different look than our Pella store, and we’re going to be one of the first stores in the country to have that new design. So the blueprints and the design of that store has taken a little longer than we thought.”
How will Oskaloosa’s Jimmy John’s be different from Pella’s?
“The overall store will have different colors, different lighting and just, different feel. So it will be the next generation of Jimmy John’s stores,” Reynolds said.
There is still no set opening date, but Reynolds said they are hoping to start construction soon so that they can open early in the fall.
“We’ve gotten a huge response, very positive. People are very excited. We have somebody come in every day into the store and say ‘when are you coming? We can’t wait.’ So we’re very excited,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds also said the restaurant will likely be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and will have drive-thru and delivery services. He said the restaurant will be looking to hire 30 to 40 employees six weeks before the opening.
