Jersey Mike's Europe Expansion Led by Founder Peter Cancro

**Jersey Mike's Subs** is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in fresh-sliced, made-to-order submarine sandwiches, emphasizing quality ingredients, friendly service, and a "sub above" experience.[1][2][3] Founded in 1956 as Mike's Subs (originally Mike's Giant Submarine Shop) by Mike Ingravallo in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, the seaside shop pioneered subs amid few fast-food chains, drawing crowds with its novel product and personal touch—owners knew customers by name.[1][2][3][4] In 1975, at age 17, Peter Cancro bought the store with a loan from his football coach-banker, expanding locally while preserving fresh-sliced meats and authentic Jersey Shore vibes.[1][3][6][7] By the mid-1980s, customer pleas for year-round access inspired franchising; in 1987, Cancro rebranded to **Jersey Mike's Subs** to evoke its roots and launched nationwide growth.[2][3][4][5] Key achievements include explosive expansion: from 750 locations in 2014 to over 1,000 by 2015, surpassing **4,000 open and developing** today across 47 U.S. states, with international forays like Australia (closed by 2020 due to COVID).[1][3][5] The original Point Pleasant site remains a training hub.[3] Under Cancro's enduring CEO leadership, the brand retains mom-and-pop charm amid franchise scale, earning loyalty through consistent quality.[6][7] Currently a subsidiary powerhouse, Jersey Mike's thrives on innovation like digital ordering and community giving via its Month of Giving campaigns, blending tradition with modern appeal for business watchers eyeing resilient QSR models.[1][3] This rags-to-riches tale—from beach boardwalk to franchise giant—highlights visionary grit in a competitive market.(298 words)

**JM Submarines UK Ltd** is a franchise entity dedicated to launching Jersey Mike's Subs, the U.S. fast-casual sandwich chain, across the United Kingdom and Ireland, with ambitious plans for 400 stores.[2][3][7] Incorporated on July 11, 2025, in London, Greater London, the company remains active and is spearheaded by Peter Cancro, founder and former CEO of Jersey Mike's, who now serves as its CEO.[1][3][4] Cancro, who bought the original Mike's Subs shop in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, at age 17 in 1975, transformed it into Jersey Mike's—a brand with over 3,200 U.S. locations known for fresh-sliced, grilled subs and community focus—before stepping down as CEO in April 2025 following its $8 billion sale to Blackstone, where he retains a significant minority stake.[3][7] The pivotal milestone came on January 12, 2026, when Jersey Mike's announced a franchise agreement with JM Submarines UK Ltd, marking the brand's first European expansion.[3][7] First stores are slated to open in 2026, capitalizing on markets that prize quality and community, as Cancro noted: "I've lived and breathed this brand my entire life... I'm eager to personally operate the brand I love."[3][7] Jersey Mike's CEO Charlie Morrison hailed Cancro as the ideal partner, crediting him with scaling from one Jersey Shore shop to North American dominance.[7] As a nascent venture backed by a proven leader, JM Submarines represents bold transatlantic growth in the quick-service restaurant sector. With Companies House confirming its active status and Cancro's oversight, it positions Jersey Mike's "A Sub Above" ethos for global appeal, blending authentic U.S. flavor with UK-Irish tastes.[1][5] This deal underscores strategic franchisin

Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager, overseeing over $1.2 trillion in assets under management (AUM) as of 2025. Founded in 1985 by Stephen A. Schwarzman and Peter G. Peterson, Blackstone has grown into a global financial powerhouse, serving both institutional and individual investors by building strong businesses that generate lasting value[1][2][5]. The firm’s operations span diverse investment sectors, including private equity, real estate, credit, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, secondaries, and hedge funds. Blackstone owns more than 12,500 real estate assets and 250+ portfolio companies, positioning it as the world’s largest commercial real estate owner and one of the biggest private equity platforms globally[1][2]. Its credit and insurance business is also the largest third-party focused credit platform, managing $407 billion in assets[2]. Blackstone’s core mission is to deliver outstanding financial performance by stewarding capital with integrity and conviction, while fostering innovation and entrepreneurialism. The firm emphasizes a builder mindset, leveraging its scale and expertise to empower businesses for long-term growth. It also prioritizes a strong corporate culture, reflected in its commitment to teamwork, diversity, and continuous learning, which attracts top talent worldwide—only 138 out of nearly 60,000 applicants secured positions recently[1][4]. Key achievements include maintaining a 40-year track record of investment performance and becoming the world’s largest discretionary allocator to hedge funds. Blackstone reported strong earnings in 2025, reflecting its ability to navigate complex markets and capitalize on emerging trends such as artificial intelligence and evolving real estate dynamics[2][4][5]. Today, Blackstone stands as a beacon of financial security and innovation, shaping tomorrow’s economy through strategic investments and operational excellence across multiple sectors[1][3][5].

**Chick-fil-A** is a privately held American fast-food chain specializing in chicken sandwiches, nuggets, and related items, renowned for its original boneless breast sandwich and unwavering focus on customer service.[2][4] Unlike competitors, it avoids beef products and closes all locations on Sundays to honor its founder's Southern Baptist values, fostering employee rest and family time.[4][6] The company's journey began in 1946 when S. Truett Cathy and his brother Ben opened the Dwarf Grill (later Dwarf House) in Hapeville, Georgia, near a Ford plant, serving simple fare to steady patrons.[1][2][3] In 1961, Cathy innovated by adapting a pressure fryer to cook chicken as quickly as burgers, birthing the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich—trademarked with the slogan "We Didn't Invent the Chicken, Just the Chicken Sandwich."[2][3] The first branded restaurant debuted in 1967 inside Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall, pioneering mall food courts and expanding rapidly in the 1970s-1980s.[1][5][7] The inaugural standalone location opened in 1986 on North Druid Hills Road, shifting focus from malls to suburban drive-thrus and freestanding sites.[2][3][7] Key achievements include the iconic 1990s "Eat Mor Chikin" cow campaign, which humorously boosted brand loyalty, and explosive growth to over 3,000 U.S. locations by recent counts, employing 35,000+ while ranking third in sales despite fewer stores than McDonald's or KFC.[4][7][9] It boasts top same-store sales and leads as the largest quick-service chicken chain.[9] Leadership passed from Truett (d. 2014) to son Dan Cathy (CEO 2013-2021), then grandson Andrew in 2021.[5] Today, headquartered in College Park, Georgia, Chic