Sandwich Savant Talks Past, Present, Future of Up and Coming Sandwich Shop
He stands alone between a bloodied meat slicer and a juice-soaked cutting board. His navy blue apron is faded around the belly, hinting at consistent splashes of oil and grease throughout the last 3 years. His smile is puzzlingly genuine. His movements are deliberate and without waste.
He works in a small sandwich shop nestled between Vitamin World and The Mutual Fund Store, but it fits his humble nature perfectly. Charlton Young, husband of one, father of three, and Boss of twenty-plus, is the general manager of Jersey Mike’s Subs in Orland Park. But he is preparing to move onto bigger and better things: the grand opening of Jersey Mike’s Subs in Palos Heights.
“I’m very excited for this. When we opened here, I was the assistant manager. It was fun but I didn’t feel like it was my store. When (Palos Heights) opens, I’ll really feel at home,” he says, relaxing in a cushioned booth better known for hosting happy sandwich eaters rather than interviews.
Young has worked at Jersey Mike’s in Orland Park since it opened in June of 2011. Prior to that he worked at a church in Tinley Park, doing anything from refurbishing church pews to playing lead guitar in the church band. Of his time there he states, “I loved my role at the church because I could make an impact. My work meant a lot to me and it meant a lot to my friends and family too. But ever since I was young I wanted to work with food.”
He found his calling in a previously unheard of restaurant chain, Jersey Mike’s Subs. A craigslist job posting called for, “enthusiastic and energetic individuals with a passion for people and service.”
“I remember thinking, ‘What’s this place all about?’” says Young, “None of the qualifications mentioned experience with food. It was all about ‘people skills’ and ‘passion.’”
Indeed, as much as this restaurant is about selling sandwiches, there is an equal part that seeks to establish a connection between the customer and the company. Young does not have enough fingers to count how many customers he knows by name, where they work, and exactly what sandwich they order every time. That is what he loves most about his job. This is why he is excited for April 22nd, the day Jersey Mike’s in Palos Heights flips on the luminescent “OPEN” sign for the first time.
“I want to be the first face people see when they come to check us out. There will be a lot of familiar faces there, but I know for many people it will be their first time. I’m excited to leave the first, lasting impression on them and seeing them come in for their second, third and fourth time and so on,” He says with a gleam in his eyes and a smile creeping unhidden on his cheeks.
It is this kind of passion for service and belief in himself and his product that makes Charlton Young such a sub sandwich stalwart. He is fully confident that this new undertaking will be his most challenging and rewarding experience yet.
