Dive Brief:

• Jimmy John’s has made its wraps, which it served during summers as a limited-time offering, permanent, the company said in a press release emailed to Restaurant Dive.
• Three wraps will be added, including two returning flavors: Chicken Caesar Wrap and Jalapeño Ranch Chicken Wrap. The Tuscan Italian Wrap is a new flavor. 
• The addition of the wraps coincides with the addition of the chain’s new catering bundles and premium sides and desserts for catering.

Dive Insight:

The wraps follow two years of summer LTOs that sold better than expected, the company said in an email to Restaurant Dive. Based on sales data, Jimmy John’s determined that wraps would perform well as a permanent addition. Prices will vary depending on location, the company said. 

“This is a big deal for our brand, as our menu hasn’t changed much in nearly 40 years,” said Dustin Hilinski, Jimmy John’s director of culinary innovation. “Our goal right now is to expand our flavor offerings and introduce new menu items, and what better way to do that than to permanently add Wraps and provide a completely reinvigorated catering menu.”

While the Chicken Caesar Wrap and Jalapeño Ranch Chicken Wrap were proven flavors, the company developed its newest flavor, Tuscan Italian Wrap, based on one of its top-selling sandwiches, the Italian Night Club, which is made with salami, capocollo, ham and provolone, the company said.

Other sandwich chains have been revising their menus as well. Subway has added deli-sliced meats to its menu following an $80 million investment in deli-meat slicers. It also added six more sandwiches to its Subway Series menu this year. 

With office dayparts returning, chains like Subway and Sweetgreen have also leaned into catering. Jimmy John’s is rolling out new catering bundles in which customers can pick customizable party boxes, box lunches and half sandwiches/wraps. It also added several premium sides and desserts to catering, including home style potato salad and pesto bowtie pasta, along with fudge chocolate brownies as a dessert option. The chain said its catering menu previously offered sides like Jimmy Crisps and Jumbo Kosher Jimmy Pickles. Jimmy John’s also updated its catering packaging with ready-to-serve boxes and reusable canvas bags.