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Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches coming Downtown
July 01, 2009 (6:11 am) | Permanent Link

By Teya Vitu

Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is destined to move in next door to the On a Roll Sushi restaurant on Congress Street later this year.

McLellan Building owner John Wesley Miller signed a five-year lease last week with Tucson franchise owner Nick Schaffer to bring Tucson’s fifth Jimmy John’s to Miller’s building at Congress and Scott Avenue.

Schaffer said the eatery is expected to open in three to six months.

“I feel a lot of dedicated business people and entrepreneurs are really committed to turn (downtown) around,” Schaffer said. “People are so passionate about it that it will happen.”

Shaffer opened his first Jimmy John’s in July 2003 near the University of Arizona at 749 N. Park Ave. In 2007 and 2008, he opened other Jimmy John’s at 5411 E. Broadway, 2485 N. Swan Road, 4695 N. Oracle Road.

Schaffer said Tucson has the only Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches in Arizona. The Champaign, Ill.-based company has 690 stores across the country, according to its Web site.

Schaffer describes Jimmy John’s as “fast, casual, quick service, with emphasis on quick. We don’t serve bread older than four hours.”

Miller is also in talks with potential tenants for the corner space next to Jimmy John’s in the former department store.

“In the last few months, more and more people are thinking of moving downtown,” Miller said.

Miller said he still has 20,000 square feet available to lease at McLellan, including the entire lower level underground. On a Roll fills 2,700 square feet, Jimmy John’s will take 1,500 square feet, and Miller’s office in the back uses about 1,000 square feet.