In January, Jersey Mike’s debuted its first-ever hot Italian sub as a limited-time offer. And now it’s already back, just in time for football season.
Jersey Mike’s on Tuesday said it is bringing back the Mike’s Hot Italian as an LTO, featuring ham, salami, and pepperoni grilled, chopped and covered in melted provolone. The sandwich is topped with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and the chain’s signature Chopped Pepper Relish, and is priced at a recommended $8.95 for a regular at participating locations of the 3,300-unit chain.
The goal is to connect with fans for football season, said Stacy Peterson, Jersey Mike’s president and chief operating officer, in a statement. The brand is the Official Sub Sandwich Sponsor of the NFL.
“We were excited by the response to Mike’s Hot Italian when we introduced it earlier this year, and we’re pleased to bring it back for our customers this fall,” she said.
Loading …
In addition, loyalty members can participate in a free-to-play NFL Predictor Game for the chance to win prices ranging from a Super Bowl Experience to two NFL Shop and Jersey Mike’s gift cards.
The LTO, however, appears to mark a shift in marketing for Jersey Mike’s, which went public earlier this year with an initial public offering. Jersey Mike’s has not been known for using much of an LTO strategy, though the chain did bring back its chicken salad sub to mark the beginning of summer earlier this year.
CEO Charlie Morrison in July said that customers loved the $8.95 price point for the Chicken Salad Sub. The chain ended the second quarter with same-store sales up 2.3%, mostly driven by transactions.
Jersey Mike’s is targeting younger diners with its marketing, including ads featuring actor Danny DeVito and former NFL Quarterback Eli Manning. But Morrison said the brand will be beefing up its spend on social media.
Last year, for example, he said the brand spent “almost zero” of its $200 million advertising fund in paid search, social and digital forms of marketing. He pledged to connect with younger guests “in a more differentiated way.”
