Jason's Deli
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Deli Management, Inc d/b/a Jason's Deli |
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| Type | Private |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Headquarters |  Beaumont, TX |
| Key people | Joe Tortorice, President Rusty Coco, VP Pete Verde, VP Pat Broussard, VP |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Products | Sandwiches, Salads,Spuds |
| Revenue | ▲ $370 million USD (2006) |
| Website | http://www.jasonsdeli.com/ |
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Jason's Deli is a fast casual restaurant chain, serving sandwiches, soups, salads and baked potatoes with side orders.
[edit] History
Jason's Deli was founded in 1976 in Beaumont, Texas, by Joe Tortorice; his partners are Pat Broussard, Rusty Coco, and Pete Verde. The original deli is still in operation in the Gateway Shopping Center. The chain started franchising in 1988, with the first franchise deli in Tucson, Arizona.
The majority of the over 150 units are in Texas, the Southeast U.S. and the Southwest U.S., but expansion into the East Coast and other regions is underway. The parent company is Deli Management, Inc., which owns the majority of the Jason's Delis. The number of company-owned delis and franchises are on the rise. A store in Flower Mound, Texas, is the first to feature drive thru service.
Jason's Deli will open its first location in the state of Maryland, in College Park, this fall. This will also be the Jason's Deli restaurant to open in the Washington area. Jason's is entering the Chicago market this year.
[edit] Food
The Muffaletta, a sandwich invented by Italian immigrants to New Orleans and still quite popular in that city, is Jason's Deli's signature sandwich. Po' boys, such as the Beefeater and Meataballa, are also featured, along with classic sandwiches such as Club sandwich, BLT sandwich, Reuben sandwich, and Tuna melt. Contemporary sandwiches such as wraps and panini are available, as well as a "Wrapini," a wrap grilled on the panini grill. The newest line of sandwiches are the ciabatta with organic field greens, roasted tomatoes, and either turkey or portobella mushroom. The delis serves penne pasta dishes, huge baked potatoes "spuds", and soups. Much of the food is certified heart healthy by St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont. All of the delis feature a huge Salad bar. Party trays and box lunches are a big part of the catering business. All of the delis serve free soft serve ice cream.
In April 2005, the company completed a five-year mission to eliminate all trans-fats from their menu as noted in the article Jason's Deli chain to go trans-fat-free by April 15. Nations Restaurant News. Retrieved on 2007-01-15.Additionally, Jason's has just announced the elimination of MSG from all of its food, and is currently working toward eliminating high fructose corn syrup as well.
