Manchester’s family-owned Jimmy John’s is scheduled to open on Wednesday, April 8 in Manchester at 2526 Hillsboro Blvd, concluding construction that has been on-going for the past several months.

According to franchisee Jeff Walters, he and his family are originally from the Detroit metropolitan area in Michigan, where he was first exposed to the Jimmy John’s brand.

“My wife, Kelly, and two sons have been instrumental at filling the gaps and ensuring that our focus of the ‘customer first approach’ is being executed at the stores,” he said. “We really have adapted to a family-owned franchise. My brother, Ken, and his family have joined our team in Arizona two years ago where they are working at the stores. Our two sons and their spouses help with accounting and payroll.”

The Walters purchased two Jimmy John’s franchises in Glendale, Arizona in Aug. 7, 2019. Then they built two other locations in Phoenix and Buckeye, Arizona.

“The past six years have been both exciting and challenging. No two days are ever the same. You must be adaptable and ready to fill a big catering order that may be called in at a moment’s notice,” Walters said.

“I think the thing that sets us apart from some of the other franchises is that we are a family-owned franchise and want to still have that personal touch. We don’t want to get too large so we lose that. We also feel that our employees are an extension of our family.”

“We always dreamed of running a business together as a family. We looked at opportunities to open a franchise while we were in Washington State, but it never panned out. However, that dream has finally come true,” he added.

Walters said he is not only a fan of the sandwiches but was impressed with Jimmy John’s involvement in the community.

“The local franchise teamed up with the local high school baseball team that I coached to help us raise funds for the upcoming season. My sons, Nick and Zack, both have worked for various Jimmy John’s franchises in Michigan and Washington State as they have gone through high school and college,” Walter said.

“This is a very important value to our company. We have consistently given back to the communities that we operate in. We have partnered with teams and clubs to provide funds and meals at some of the local schools in both the Arizona and Tennessee markets. We hope to do the same with the community of Manchester.”

Walters said he decided to move to Tennessee after he retired about a year and a half ago from the federal government with 35 years of service.

Walters honeymooned in the Smoky Mountains of Gatlinburg in 1989. After living in several states, they kept the hills and genuine people of the Midwest and South in mind. Then in 2024 they purchased a home in Lewisburg, Tenn. and opened a store in Tullahoma in April 2025.

The Walters hopes to maintain the standard of giving that the company’s founder, Jimmy John Liautaud, started.

Jimmy John’s store hours will be 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. and will offer full service sit down, take out and offer delivery in the area.