Jimmy John’s is About to Get A New Owner

Big news in the sandwich world: the company that owns Arby's just bought out Jimmy John's, too.

Inspire Brands, which also owns chains like Buffalo Wild Wings and Sonic, has officially entered into an agreement to acquire the popular gourmet shop. The deal closes at the end of October, at which point Jimmy John himself (it's his real name, Jimmy John Liautaud) is probably stepping down from his role as chairman and will instead act as an advisor.

We've got a few Jimmy John's locations here in Missoula - no word yet on how this will effect the individual stores, if it even will at all. The chain has got over 2800 locations throughout the country, so it definitely seems like a wise investment for Inspire.

At the same time, it feels slightly monopoly-ish for one company to own Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic, AND Jimmy John's, right? They're cornering the market on sandwiches, and who's to say what's going to come next.