Jimmy John’s sandwiches has signed a lease in the Perkins Road Hardware building and is set to open a 1,400-square-foot restaurant by early fall. This is the first tenant to commit to the Perkins Road Hardware mixed-use building and this will be the first Louisiana location for the chain. Jimmy John’s has more than 840 locations in 37 states.
Kyle Wilkinson, the owner/operator of the local Jimmy John’s, says he first sampled the sandwiches when he was in Tuscaloosa, Ala., two years ago for the LSU-Alabama football game. “I was impressed with the speed of service, the quality of food and the atmosphere,” says Wilkinson, who has worked as a general manager for the local Mellow Mushroom and Pluckers restaurants. Along with offering sub and club sandwiches, Wilkinson says Jimmy John’s will have “freaky fast” and free delivery to surrounding neighborhoods. “We love the Perkins Overpass area,” he says. “We’re looking forward to being part of events like the St. Patrick’s Day parade and the Southdowns Mardi Gras parade.” While Wilkinson is concentrating on opening the Perkins Road location, he says he eventually hopes to open other locations in Baton Rouge and South Louisiana.—Timothy Boone
