My first visit to Jimmy John’s was near the campus of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, back in 1994 or so. I don’t remember the exact year, but I remember the sandwiches, and I loved them. I moved around a lot after that, and I didn’t stumble across another Jimmy John’s until about 2004 when I found one on my way home from work in Denver. I made a lot of stops their for a great sandwich for dinner until I moved to Juneau, Alaska in late 2005. Juneau doesn’t have a Jimmy John’s, and I didn’t run across them again until I noticed one here in Portland a couple of years ago. Recently, I have gone into Jimmy John’s sandwich shop about once every couple of weeks and ordered a Number 9 “with pep”. I really loved the little hot sport peppers they used to put on their sandwiches several years back, and I loved the fact that they offered sprouts as a topping. They switched to a different kind of pepper in recent years, and they don’t have sprouts at the local shops, but the sandwiches are still fantastic. Also, I’ve been trying to watch my carb intake, lately, and JJ’s accommodated with their “Unwich” which allowed me to order any of their sandwiches without the delicious baguette bun and have the whole thing served in a lettuce wrap instead, maintaining about 90% of the deliciousness and getting rid of nearly all the carbs. Today I am sad, not for the fact that I have lost one of my favorite sandwich shops—it would be truly ridiculous to mourn the loss of a fast food restaurant—but I’m sad because today I found out that the founder of Jimmy John’s, Jimmy John Liautaud, kills elephants. I’ve had the honor and pleasure to be in the presence of elephants, and I was struck by their largeness and gentleness. It doesn’t take much Googling to find information about the intelligence and community nature of elephants. They care for one another and grieve their dead. And they’re a threatened species. I expect Mr. Liautaud doesn’t care whether I stop eating at his restaurants, but I can say that I have eaten at Jimmy John’s for the last time. I’ve read a little more about him, and I don’t like what I’ve found. A quick search will give you plenty to read if you care to. But mostly, I’m just sad for the elephants. In my small way, I will stop supporting Jimmy John, and if you care about elephants, I hope you will too.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 03:21:37 +0000
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