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Jimmy John's making freaky fast work of Greencastle remodel
Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches is on the fast track to opening a Greencastle location ... freaky fast, as they say in the commercials.
Remodeling work is under way to accommodate the sandwich shop in about 25 percent of the Family Video store at 820 Indianapolis Rd. in the College Corner shopping center (across from Kroger).
A separate entrance to the building has been created for Jimmy John's at the west side of the video store as further work continues inside.
"It's an interior remodel," Greencastle City Planner Shannon Norman told the Banner Graphic earlier this week. "It's going to be a quick turnaround.
"I spoke to the contractor," she added, "and they want to be open in four to five weeks."
In the meantime, the restaurant will be adding ovens to bake its signature bread, a sales counter and a couple of table-and-chairs set-ups should people decide to dine in. Most of Jimmy John's business, however, is pick-up or delivery.
Jimmy John's will not have to go before the Greencastle Board of Zoning Appeals for approval, Norman said, because the entire College Corner site was rezoned GB-1 (general business) when it was being developed.
The city planner surmised that dual use of the old video store space may well be a "model" Family Video has undertaken.
Near where the city planner resides, she said, a Family Video store has partnered with a Thai restaurant in space similar to the Greencastle set-up.
"So Friday night," she mused, "you go in and get a video and pick up sandwich ... freaky fast."
Jimmy John Liautaud of the Chicago suburb of Elgin, founded Jimmy John's Sandwiches, opening his first sub shop on Jan. 13, 1983 in Charleston, Ill.
In 1994, Liautaud began franchising and the 500th Jimmy John's opened in 2007, followed by the 1,000th in 2010.
Now, with more than 2,000 stores, Jimmy John's is one of the fastest-growing chains, according to the Nation's Restaurant News Top 100.