If you have been weighing up a franchise opportunity in the food-to-go sector, Jersey Mike's arrival in the UK deserves your attention. The American made-to-order sub sandwich chain has confirmed it will open its first European restaurant in Soho this autumn, backed by an agreement that could eventually see 400 locations open across the UK and Ireland. For anyone considering franchising, this is a rare chance to get in early with a brand that is still building its UK footprint from scratch.
A significant market entry
Jersey Mike's first restaurant will open on Argyll Street, Soho, with three further London sites planned before a wider national rollout begins. The expansion is being driven through a newly formed company, JM Submarines UK, led by Jersey Mike's founder Peter Cancro. Cancro started working at the original Mike's Sub Shop in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, in 1972 at the age of 14, later purchasing the business and beginning to franchise it from 1987. Today the brand operates around 3,300 locations across North America, built on a model of made-to-order hot and cold subs, with meats and cheeses sliced in-store and bread baked throughout the day.
The chain's signature 'Mike's Way' preparation, which includes onions, lettuce, tomatoes, oregano, salt and a red wine vinegar and oil 'juice', has become central to its identity in the US. Whether this format translates well to UK tastes and habits will be one of the first tests of the brand's European debut.
Corporate backing and ambition
The UK push follows a period of major change at Jersey Mike's. In early 2025, Blackstone completed an acquisition of the company in a deal valuing it at around $8bn (£6bn) including debt. Former Wingstop chief executive Charlie Morrison took over day-to-day leadership, while Cancro moved into the chairman role and remains a significant shareholder, personally overseeing the UK and Ireland launch. Andy Skehan, who joined to lead international growth, has also been central to shaping the strategy for this market.
Since the UK announcement, Jersey Mike's has completed a $1bn IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, valuing the company at $7.3bn (£5.4bn), with backing from Blackstone and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The business has stated a long-term ambition of reaching 15,000 stores globally, split evenly between the US and international markets — a fivefold increase on its current total. This context matters for franchisees: the UK is being positioned as a strategically important market for a company with serious financial firepower behind it.
A crowded sandwich sector
Prospective franchisees should be realistic about the competitive landscape. Jersey Mike's will be entering a UK sandwich and QSR market long dominated by Subway, which opened its first UK site in Brighton in 1996 and now has around 2,100 locations nationwide. Other American challengers have struggled to gain scale: Quiznos entered the UK in 2001, grew to roughly 30 sites at its peak, and has since shrunk to a single remaining restaurant. Anyone evaluating this opportunity should weigh Jersey Mike's fresh-preparation model and brand strength against this history of difficult market conditions for sub-sandwich brands outside the US.
The wider UK franchise sector remains crowded with established food and drink names, from Kaspa's Desserts and Heavenly Desserts to German Doner Kebab and Black Sheep Coffee, all competing for prime high street locations and footfall.
What this means for aspiring franchisees
For those interested in becoming among the first Jersey Mike's franchisees in the UK, there are important practical questions to raise before applying. As a newly launched market, initial sites are likely to be company-operated or closely controlled through JM Submarines UK, so early franchise opportunities may be limited until the brand establishes a UK track record. Prospective applicants should ask about territory availability, minimum investment levels, ongoing support structures, training programmes, and how supply chains for fresh ingredients will be managed outside the brand's home market.
It is also worth asking how the franchisor plans to differentiate itself from Subway and previous US entrants that failed to scale, and what marketing support will be provided during the critical early years. Given the scale of investment behind the brand, from its Blackstone-backed valuation to its recent stock market listing, financial stability should not be a major concern — but operational execution in an unfamiliar market always carries risk for early franchisees.
Anyone exploring this or similar opportunities should browse the full list of franchises currently recruiting in the UK, and keep an eye on the latest franchise news for updates as Jersey Mike's UK rollout progresses beyond its Soho debut.