CUSTOMER STORY

How Jersey Mike’s Manages Real Estate Risk and Growth with Leasecake

How Jersey Mike’s Subs corporate works with over 3,100 franchisees to set them up for real estate success with Leasecake.

Background

From a single storefront in 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, Jersey Mike’s has grown into one of the most admired and fastest-growing restaurant brands in the world—now boasting over 3,100 locations and counting. What started as a local sub shop has evolved into a national powerhouse, culminating in an $8 billion acquisition by Blackstone, one of the largest private equity transactions in restaurant history.

Behind Jersey Mike’s remarkable journey of culture, quality, and disciplined growth lies a critical focus on operational excellence—especially in real estate management. To support its expansion, reduce portfolio risk, and maintain strategic control across every location, Jersey Mike’s relies on Leasecake’s lease and location management platform. Throughout the brand’s rise—and through the transition into private equity ownership—Leasecake has helped Jersey Mike’s demonstrate strong portfolio oversight, operational transparency, and risk mitigation, setting the stage for continued global growth.

Starting with one store in New Jersey, Jersey Mike's has expanded to over 3,100 locations.

Jersey Mike’s has become a leading sandwich restaurant, and continues to grow with operational excellence, while reducing portfolio risk and maintaining strategic control.

Challenges

Scaling from a few dozen stores to thousands—and now preparing for global expansion—requires more than just a great brand and a strong team.
It requires:

Complete real estate visibility across every lease, critical date, and obligation
Risk mitigation to avoid missed renewals, rent escalations, or compliance issues
Operational efficiency to ensure franchisees and corporate stores open and operate without delays
Transparency for investors—especially critical during the due diligence process for a major private equity transaction

Manual systems, spreadsheets, and disconnected tools simply couldn’t keep pace with Jersey Mike’s methodical and disciplined approach to scaling.

Common Risks for Fast-Growing Franchisors Like Jersey Mike’s:

Missed renewal deadlines leading to loss of prime locations
Hidden lease clauses that limit expansion or increase costs
Disorganized documents slowing down financing, auditing, or M&A
Inconsistent location data leading to operational inefficiencies
Lack of visibility into upcoming obligations across a large, geographically dispersed portfolio

"Every store, every lease, every decision matters when you’re building something that lasts. Leasecake gives us the tools to stay organized, stay ahead of risks, and focus on what really matters—supporting our teams, our franchisees, and our communities as we grow."

Mike Manzo

COO, Jersey Mike’s Subs

The Solution

Jersey Mike’s turned to Leasecake to provide a centralized, easy-to-use platform that:

Tracks every lease, amendment, permit, and location-specific document
Alerts the team to critical dates and obligations automatically
Standardizes data management across the real estate team and franchise network
Provides executive-level reporting to leadership and investors
Creates a foundation for long-term scalability without sacrificing operational control

Before Blackstone’s acquisition, Leasecake helped Jersey Mike’s showcase organized, complete real estate oversight—strengthening the brand’s valuation and appeal.

After the acquisition, Leasecake continues to support Jersey Mike’s, providing private equity stakeholders with real-time transparency into the portfolio while allowing the franchisor to focus on strategic growth, training, and culture preservation.

The Results

Even without disclosing specific dollar figures, the impact of Leasecake is clear:

Risk Reduction: Jersey Mike’s stays ahead of lease expirations, rent increases, and compliance deadlines—avoiding costly surprises.

Operational Efficiency: With one system for all location documents, the real estate and legal teams can move faster, reduce manual work, and support rapid franchise openings.

Stronger PE Relationship: By demonstrating real estate discipline and transparency, Jersey Mike’s built investor confidence and unlocked growth capital.

Scalability: As the brand targets 300+ new stores per year and international markets, Leasecake ensures the real estate portfolio can scale smoothly, without bottlenecks or gaps.

Peace of Mind: Leadership can trust that real estate data is centralized, accurate, and proactively managed—allowing them to focus on growing the brand rather than putting out fires.

Why It Matters

Jersey Mike’s story is about more than subs—it’s about culture, discipline, and putting people first. That same philosophy extends to how they manage their real estate. With Leasecake, Jersey Mike’s ensures that every franchisee—and every location—is set up for success.

At Leasecake, we’re proud to support brands like Jersey Mike’s in turning real estate risk into strategic opportunity—one lease, one location, and one incredible sandwich at a time.

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