Sandra and Brad Simousek loved Jimmy John’s sandwiches so much as college students they sometimes frequented the chain twice a day.

So, it only was natural that when the brother and sister were looking to start their own franchise they chose Jimmy John’s. The Simouseks have taken measures to go beyond customer-service expectations by getting to know employees and customers. They also carefully select employees.

“We’re light-hearted,” said Petro Drakopoulos, the Simouseks’ general manager at the Jimmy John’s in Hanover Park. “We remember first names and orders. We try to make the store pleasant.”

Perhaps that’s why the Jimmy John’s franchise has thrived during tougher economic times and lower consumer confidence. While other restaurants have closed, the franchise is expanding.

Since opening their Hanover Park location in 2004, the Simouseks started a Jimmy John’s in Elk Grove Village and also purchased a Jimmy John’s store at 55 E. Grand Ave., Chicago.

“We’re really passionate about the brand and we love working here,” said Sandra, 28. “It resonates with our employees.”
They also have a strong support system. Their parents, Edward and Charlotte, serve as their company’s president and vice president.

Brad, while an accounting major at the University of Illinois-Chicago, talked with Sandra, who was a student at Eastern Illinois University, about forming a family business. Sandra worked at the original Jimmy John’s in Charleston, Ill., and suggested they start a franchise with the restaurant chain. The Simouseks opened their Hanover Park store when Sandra was 24 and Brad was 22.

“Going into business with your family has no downside,” said Brad, now 26. “You can’t trust everyone, but you can always trust your family.”

The siblings understand the importance of reaching out to the community. The Simouseks are Hanover Park natives and have networked with local businesses and contributed to local events. The restaurant has donated sandwiches on family nights at area schools. The siblings have also made donations to Streamwood’s Lexington Health Care Center and the Hanover Park District Recreation Center. Both attended Conant High School in Hoffman Estates and participated in youth sports in Hanover Park.

“The community makes us who we are, so we reach out as much as we can,” Sandra said. “We’ve seen the change and growth and we just wanted to be a part of it.”

The Simouseks try to inject as much humor into the store environment as possible. They also try to make customers feel at home.

“It’s a family atmosphere here,” general manager Drakopoulos said. “We try to make our customers feel like brothers and sisters.”

And it starts with the franchise’s owners.