Elevating Jersey Mike’s Menu with a Premium Chicken Platform
Menu Innovation, Culinary Development, Operations Strategy, Internal Communications, Graphic Design, Product Testing, Market Research, Marketing, WebsiteTo capture a health-conscious demographic and diversify its protein offerings, Ajnci partnered with Jersey Mike's to develop and launch a premium, whole-muscle sous-vide chicken platform. This multi-faceted campaign introduced a versatile, clean-label ingredient that revolutionized both their hot and cold sandwich builds. By guiding the project from initial vendor research to culinary innovation, operational integration, and digital portal design, our agency successfully transformed a single ingredient into a massive sales driver, strengthening their competitive edge in the fast-casual space.
CHALLENGE
Jersey Mike's faced a distinct strategic hurdle: they needed to diversify their menu to appeal to broader consumer tastes, specifically targeting younger demographics and women who were actively avoiding processed deli meats. The client's ask was to introduce a clean, whole-muscle protein option that could drive new guest traffic and increase purchase frequency for items like sub bowls. However, this new addition could not disrupt the fast-paced, highly streamlined operational efficiency of their kitchens, and required a solution that eliminated foodborne illness risks during transit.
RESULTS
By leveraging Ajnci's expertise in end-to-end menu innovation, the new premium chicken platform exceeded all testing benchmarks and gained highly favorable customer acceptance. The strategic positioning successfully attracted the target demographic of younger audiences seeking diverse, clean-label protein options and increased basket sizes through combo promotions. Our streamlined operational rollout ensured that franchise kitchens remained incredibly efficient, laying the groundwork for a scalable, adaptable asset capable of supporting future limited-time offers. Ultimately, the Chicken Breast launch resulted in a massive $23 million, $12 million in incremental revenue for the brand.
Jersey Mike's Subs is a rapidly growing, premier fast-casual sandwich franchise with over 3,200 locations across North America. Founded in 1956, the brand has cultivated a fiercely loyal customer base and is famous for its authentic, fresh-sliced, and fresh-grilled submarine sandwiches.
APPROACH
CULINARY
We maximized this single, highly versatile SKU to revamp the menu, developing exciting new hot and cold builds such as the Spicy Chicken Italian and the Chicken Bacon Hot Honey Club. We also entirely reimagined Mike's Chicken Salad by drastically reducing the mayonnaise and introducing red wine vinegar as an acidifier, allowing the premium chicken to become the star of the dish without adding new SKUs.
APPROACH
RESEARCH
Our team performed extensive SKU evaluations and vendor exploration, scrutinizing fully cooked, pulled, diced, and fire-braised chicken options from suppliers like Tyson, Perdue, Hormel, and Cuisine Solutions. Aligning with our consumer trends research—which highlighted a surge in demand for minimally processed meats among younger generations—we selected a pre-cooked, sous-vide chicken breast from Cuisine Solutions for its superior moisture retention and food safety.
APPROACH
TESTING
Before the national rollout, we facilitated rigorous flavor comparisons and executed targeted regional testing in markets with a high demand for chicken. This ensured the product was fine-tuned to consumer preferences and exceeded QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) benchmarks before a full-scale launch.
APPROACH
OPERATIONS
To guarantee seamless in-store execution across thousands of locations, we established strict, foolproof operational guidelines. We defined precise parameters for thawing the frozen product, daily prepping utilizing a 2.5" deep tray with a strainer, and visually calibrating portions to exactly 5.3 ounces to maintain the brand's legendary speed of service.
Our creative team designed visually engaging, step-by-step Playsheets and vibrant menuboards. These instructional materials provided precise visual cues for prep and sandwich construction—such as exactly when to flip the chicken on the grill or when to melt the provolone—ensuring product consistency brand-wide.
APPROACH
MARKETING
We built a comprehensive, omni-channel marketing strategy encompassing TV commercials, digital advertising, promotions via the MyMike's channels, and in-store catering menus. The campaign strategically positioned the new chicken platform as a premium, clean-label alternative, tapping directly into the mindful eating trend.
To house all project assets and ensure franchise alignment, we designed and developed dedicated internal digital portals, including the "extraMike's" platform and JM Innovation hub. This central repository served as the ultimate innovation hub, featuring product reviews, SKU details, menu build visuals, and operational guides.
APPROACH
TESTING
Before the national rollout, our team ran rigorous in-market tests and prediction markets to validate the new size, format, and pricing thresholds. We tested operational forgiveness for platform extensions, determining that the new "Mike's Minis" could easily be created by having crew members use a dough cutter to quarter the existing 2.25 oz frozen dough pucks—creating a highly profitable, shareable item without introducing a single new SKU to the supply chain.