BY ELYSSA GANSER
May 20, 2016
It starts with fresh baked bread plucked straight from the oven. Next it’s piled high with savory provolone, ham, prosciuttini, salami, pepperoni and cappacuolo. Finally, it’s topped off “Mike’s Way” with freshly sliced lettuce, tomatoes, onions, vinegar, oil, oregano and a dash of salt. What is it? The Original Italian. Where can you find it? Jersey Mike’s Subs on Allen St.
Originally called Mike’s Subs, this booming franchise started as a hole-in-the-wall sub shop in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. In 1956 Mike was famous for his submarine sandwiches, and all summer long you could find a line out the door of people flocking to get one while vacationing on the Jersey Shore. People didn’t just come for a delicious sub, but also because of the personal relationship Mike built with each of his customers. Peter Cancro started working at Mike’s Subs at the age of 14 and grew a deep passion for the business. When Mike was considering selling the company Cancro bought the business with the help of his football coach. At just 17 Cancro was the new owner of Mike’s Subs. In 1987 Cancro franchised the business so people across the country could enjoy these sub sandwiches.
Today, there are more than 1,500 locations and all of them hold the same standard of quality that Mike was famous for 60 years ago. The Downtown State College location was opened by Matt Patterson, who graduated from Penn State in 2003. He grew up enjoying Jersey Mike’s Subs and thought a sub shop was something that the State College community would appreciate, so he moved from New Jersey back to State College and brought his Jersey Mike’s dream with him. It has been a thriving sub shop in State College ever since.
Just like at Mike’s Subs so many years ago, Jersey Mike’s employees enjoy building relationships with the people who come in, after greeting customers by name. Besides customer service, this business also takes freshness very seriously. All bread is baked fresh; vegetables are sliced daily, while meats and cheeses are cut to order. The company strives to bring a great product to the market every day, while holding that standard of high quality food for every customer. The menu has rarely changed since its start because Jersey Mike’s believes in keeping things classic, simple and consistent. Stop into Jersey Mike’s today and try a sub sandwich; you won’t be disappointed!
To learn more about Jersey Mike’s Subs please visit https://www.jerseymikes.com/.
Elyssa Ganser is a senior majoring in Public Relations at Penn State. She is excited to see what lies ahead as she starts this new chapter in her life. Elyssa discovered her passion for writing after working for School Nutrition Magazine last summer, where she wrote articles and edited content for upcoming editions of the monthly magazine.
