Back in August of this year, the brand’s image was tarnished when there was pushback on various social media platforms over Liautaud’s photos revealing the avid hunter with a leopard and an elephant that he had killed.
Jimmy John’s Sale To Inspire Brands Now Complete
Recently Atlanta based Inspire Brands announced that it had completed the acquisition of Jimmy John’s. According to Nation’s Restaurant News, Inspire Brands lineup now includes QSR brands such as Rusty Taco, Arby’s, and Sonic as well as full-service, casual restaurant Buffalo Wild Wings. Back in 2016, Roark Capital, the private equity firm that owns Inspire Brands, had purchased a majority stake in Jimmy John’s. The final phase of this acquisition of Jimmy John’s based in Champaign, Illinois, was first announced back in September.
Paul Brown, Inspire CEO, said: “We are excited to officially welcome Jimmy John’s to our growing family of brands.” “The team members and franchisees at Jimmy John’s should be incredibly proud of the company they’ve helped create, and we look forward to building on their success as we continue to drive innovation and long-term growth at Jimmy John’s.”
Reporting to Brown is James North, who has been named President of the Jimmy John’s. North commented, “Our guests, team members, and franchisees will benefit greatly from Inspire’s significant scale and investments in industry-leading capabilities, and we look forward to working alongside the Inspire team to fuel future growth for the Jimmy John’s brand.”
Some Would Say “A Needed Change”
Jimmy John’s was founded in 1983 and has 2,800 locations in 43 states. Jimmy John’s founder and Chairman Jimmy John Liautaud will become an adviser to Inspire’s board. Back in August of this year, the brand’s image was tarnished when there was pushback on various social media platforms over Liautaud’s photos revealing the avid hunter with a leopard and an elephant that he had killed. Numerous social media posts with the hashtag #BoycottJimmyJohns were calling for a boycott of the restaurant chain when the photos were exposed.
Sizing It Up
As part of the Inspire portfolio of restaurant brands, the company can now boast of being the fourth largest restaurant company in the United States with more than 11,000 units. The transaction enlarges Inspire’s portfolio to over 14 Billion in annual sales.