Jorge Hernandez, left, and Alvaro Garcia are among the largest Jersey Mike’s franchisees with 76 restaurants in Southern California and 10 in Hawaii.
With a tireless work ethic and a commitment to get the job done no matter what, Jorge Hernandez and Alvaro Garcia rose from humble beginnings to become two of the largest Jersey Mike’s franchisees.
Consider how far the California-based franchisees were willing to go for their business when, in 2017, they were unable to find employees to work at their first Jersey Mike’s in Honolulu. Instead of delaying the opening, they hopped on a plane, donned Jersey Mike’s shirts and prepared sandwiches for customers.
“Jersey Mike’s was an unknown brand in Hawaii at the time and we couldn’t find anyone who wanted to work for us for our life. So, we flew there and worked in the restaurant until we could find employees,” said Hernandez. “Once people came in and tasted the food, everything changed.”
Hernandez, 54, and Garcia, 52, want their story told to inspire others. They own 86 Jersey Mike’s, with 76 in southern California and 10 in Hawaii. Their Pomona, California-based restaurant group, NISAMEX, added six restaurants in 2023 and seven so far this year.
Their growth is far from over. Four restaurants are under construction, with 20 in the pipeline. They expect to hit 100 units in the next two years.
“It’s been an unbelievable ride for us, and we’re not done. We’re always looking for new opportunities to grow our business,” said Hernandez, proudly pointing out the average unit volume for their restaurants was $1.4 million in 2023, with transactions increasing by 3 percent.
Hernandez and Garcia have come a long way since arriving to the United States, Hernandez from Mexico and Garcia from Nicaragua. They met when Hernandez was managing a Domino’s Pizza in Bell, California, in 1991, and a highly motivated Garcia showed up looking for work as a delivery driver.
“He was a few years younger than me and barely spoke English, but I saw something in him that reminded me of myself,” Hernandez said. “We were both immigrants and grew up in large families with strong mothers and fathers who weren’t around a lot. Like me, Alvaro also had this unbelievable work ethic. He was out of control. He wanted to deliver five pizzas at a time. He stayed until closing time even though he was in school and had to get up early the next day. An incredibly hard and dedicated worker.”
“Fast forward 34 years and we’re friends and business partners,” Hernandez said.
To help run their business, which they project will reach $86 million in sales this year with more than 1,500 employees, they have 13 district managers and two operations directors. Hernandez, who oversees operations, credited their business success with training staff well to provide top customer service, promoting their best employees and making invaluable community connections by donating to local charities. “My mom always told us we’re here to work hard, to earn money but to also contribute to this country,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez credited Garcia’s expertise in construction with a lot of their rapid growth.
“It’s a tough business but we enjoy it because we’ve gotten really good at acquiring and building restaurants and scaling them,” said Garcia, a general contractor by trade. “The work relationship I have with Jorge works because we know each other and trust each other.”
A turning point in their Jersey Mike’s operation, said Hernandez, was when they reached 40 restaurants in 2019 and their company needed a reset.
“I remember Alvaro and me looking at each other asking, ‘What now? Where do we go from here?’ We both felt like our company had kind of lost its way, not understanding what our mission and purpose was,” Hernandez said. “So, we had a retreat at Big Bear, California, with our district managers and operations people and together we came up with company mission statement that embraced the basics and prioritized great customer service.”
The contributions Hernandez and Garcia have made to the Jersey Mike’s system have not gone unnoticed. They were the first operators to launch in Hawaii and the first in the system to open on military bases in Hawaii and the contiguous United States.
“Alvaro and Jorge are phenomenal operators. It’s their focus on people development that separates them, elevating them to best in class,” said Hoyt Jones, president at Jersey Mike’s. “They are always in their stores encouraging their teams to focus on the fundamentals of our business.”