Moscow getting first Jersey Mike’s Subs in northern Idaho

MOSCOW, Idaho – A Jersey Mike’s Subs sandwich shop is expected to open at Moscow’s Palouse Mall in late June, filling a space between Target and Great Clips.

The plans the franchise has for Moscow were confirmed Wednesday by Travis Trask, an owner of the location.

The sandwich franchise features options such as Jersey Shore’s Favorite with provolone, ham and cappacuolo, a specialty type of ham; the Original Italian with provolone and five kinds of meats, and the Big Kahuna Chicken Cheese Steak.

A renovation of the 1,800-foot-space that will house Jersey Mike’s at the shopping center got under way earlier this week and is estimated to cost $120,000, according to a building permit issued for the project.

The restaurant will have entrances on the exterior and interior of the mall as well as seating for 40 diners, Trask said.

The work at 2118 W. Pullman Road includes installing hoods, a grease interceptor, heating, air conditioning, electricity, plumbing, framing, lighting, millwork and finishes, according to the permit application.

Moscow is one of two locations Trask and his wife, Alyssa Trask, of Garden City, Idaho, plan to open in north central Idaho with partners.

Lewiston is next on their list, but they have yet to find a spot that meets their criteria, said Travis Trask, who has ownership stakes in more than 10 Jersey Mike’s, including ones in Boise.

Part of what they like about the franchise is its focus on giving, they said.

For example, just before every Jersey Mike’s opens, individuals distribute coupons at places the public frequents near the location.

In exchange for $3 donations that go to a local not-for-profit group, people who hold the coupons get sandwiches in the first days of the new restaurant’s debut.

The Moscow Jersey Mike’s will join more than 2,700 locations in the United States. The closest to Lewiston at this time are two in Spokane and one in the Spokane Valley.

“Jersey Mike’s offers a Sub Above, serving authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on freshly baked bread – the same recipe it started with in 1956,” according to a fact sheet from Jersey Mike’s.

The first Jersey Mike’s was founded in Point Pleasant, along the Jersey Shore, according to the fact sheet.

“Because of its location … it grew quickly in popularity among the thousands of surf and sun seekers from New York to Philadelphia to Washington D.C.,” according to the fact sheet. “By the early 1970s Mike’s Subs was a thriving landmark famous for its lively and friendly service (and food).”

That was when Peter Cancro took a job at Mike’s Subs when he was 14 years old. As a high school senior, he purchased the business with the help of his football coach when he was so young he couldn’t even legally slice a sub.

During the next decade, Cancro opened two more locations before changing the name to Jersey Mike’s Subs and franchising the concept in 1987.

Cancro is CEO of Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc., which is headquartered in Manasquan, a borough in New Jersey.

At this time, Jersey Mike’s is growing rapidly. A total of 298 shops debuted last year and 297 are coming soon, according to the company website.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.