Landlord and tenant found out they had more in common than they realized when the owners of Jimmy John’s sandwich shop met this month with the owners of Granada Plaza and Lofts, where the shop is located.
Jimmy John’s franchise owners Rick and Linda Clabaugh of Beatrice, Neb., came to Emporia to start the second phase, a marketing campaign, for the shop, which opened this summer. They met with Lofts owners Cory and Amber Haag for a meet-and-greet tour of the city.
In the process, they learned that Amber Haag is a pharmacist with The Medicine Shoppe; Rick Clabaugh is a pharmacist who owns a pharmacy in Beatrice. The Clabaughs’ son, Nate, also a pharmacist, works in the pharmacy.
“He kept his best secret ’til today,” Linda Clabaugh said, gesturing toward Amber Haag.
Linda Clabaugh, who works with her husband in the family businesses, including a gift shop, is president of Beatrice Main Street; Cory Haag is an Emporia Main Street supporter who specializes in centrally located downtown apartments and lofts.
Linda Clabaugh praised the local Main Street’s accomplishments and the state organization’s support of the programs.
“Kansas Main Street is excellent,” she said. “You just have a more active state that supports (local Main Street organizations).”
The couple came to Emporia on the restaurant’s opening day, which coincided with the annual Block Party for students, sponsored jointly by Emporia Main Street and Emporia State University.
Emporia, they said, is more like what Jimmy John’s founder had in mind for his stores — a nearby campus in an attractive downtown building.
Their son Ty oversees the Emporia shop and the family’s Jimmy John’s location in Topeka, near 10th Street and Wanamaker Road.
“Emporia’s Jimmy John’s is probably larger, has more seating,” Rick Clabaugh said of the franchise stores nationwide. “This is the best-looking Jimmy John’s I’ve ever seen.”
The shop has drawn its customers from all ages, instead of just the college crowd.
As the family markets the shop, it intends to emphasize the “freaky-fast” delivery, box lunches and catering services, and the freshness of its products.
The store aims to have delivery orders out to the customers within 15 minutes, Ty Clabaugh said. Delivery charges are based on numbers of items to be delivered, at a rate of 25 cents per item in the order.
Linda Clabaugh said the franchise slices its own meats and vegetables, including lettuce, and bakes 7-grain wheat and French breads daily.
“None of our bread is more than four hours old,” Ty Clabaugh said, mentioning that day-old loaves of the French bread are sold to the public when available.
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Posted by upsetcitizen (anonymous) on November 23, 2009 at 12:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They Always have great food.
Posted by admireed (anonymous) on November 23, 2009 at 10:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Emporia has enough good sandwich shops. Doubt this one will last more than a year or two
Posted by Steve_Corbin (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 8:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm thankful for all of the positive attitudes in our fair city!
Posted by admireed (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 2:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Emporia has enough good sandwich shops. I truly hope this one will last more than a year or two. This better?
Posted by Steve_Corbin (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 3:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Staying positive is hard work, makes me hungry.
Anyone for a turkey, lettuce and avacodo sandwich on pumpkin bread?
Just thinking about he leftovers tommorrow:)
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