Jersey Mike's, the American sandwich chain, is opening its first UK location on Argyll Street in London on Monday, November 9, with plans for 400 locations across the UK and Ireland.
The chain, which has more than 3,300 locations in the US and Canada, is expanding beyond North America for the first time. It will compete with Subway, which has 37,000 locations worldwide and entered the UK market in 1996 in Brighton.
Origin stories and growth
Jersey Mike's traces its roots to 1956, when Peter Cancro began working at a sub shop in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, at age 14. He bought the business at 17 and turned it into Jersey Mike's. Subway, originally named Pete's Super Submarines, was founded by Fred DeLuca in Bridgeport, Connecticut, when he was 17, with a $1,000 loan from family friend Peter Buck. DeLuca stepped down in 2015.
Both chains have been owned by private equity firms since 2024. Subway first expanded outside the US in 1984, opening its first international shop in Bahrain.
Quality and reputation
Jersey Mike's has been named America's highest-rated fast-food chain for customer satisfaction in the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index. It has celebrity fans including Danny DeVito, and was picked over Subway in a taste test on the TV show Good Mythical Morning.
The UK team has emphasised "quality" meats and cheeses sliced to order and bread baked fresh each morning. "Mike's Way" refers to ordering a sandwich with onions, lettuce and tomatoes, and "the juice" is a combination of red wine vinegar and olive oil splashed on fillings before the bread is folded.
Jersey Mike's is more expensive than Subway, though not by much. The article notes that it remains to be seen whether the launch will generate an Instagram frenzy like Dave's Hot Chicken or fade into obscurity.
