After Liautaud graduated second to last in his class at Elgin Academy in 1982, his father gave him a choice to either join the Army or start a business.

Paying $200 a month in rent, Liautaud could only afford used equipment consisting of a refrigerator, a chest freezer, an oven, and a meat slicer.

[citation needed] In 1988, Liautaud met Jamie Coulter, who at that time was a Pizza Hut franchisee and would later become the CEO of Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon.

[18] In the summer of 2015, pictures of Liautaud posing with big game circulated on social media, leading to increased calls to boycott his restaurants.

"[19] In September 2016, Jimmy John's announced that Roark Capital Group had agreed to acquire a majority stake in the company.

"[28] In July 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit found that the National Labor Relations Act did not protect Jimmy John's employees from being fired for exhibiting legally disloyal conduct by attacking the company's product to oppose a franchisee's sick leave policy.

[29][30] In October 2014, it was revealed that employees at Jimmy John's, including sandwich makers and delivery drivers, were required to sign non-compete agreements as a condition of employment.

The menu also includes kosher dill pickles as well as brownies and "triple chunk" chocolate and oatmeal raisin cookies.

Jimmy John's introduces two to three limited-time offers a year, starting with the "Smokin’ Kickin' Chicken" sandwich in February 2021.

[41] In March 2017, Jimmy John's won Franchise Times' "Deal of the Year" for attracting Roark Capital Group as the company's new majority owner.

[45] In June 2017, Jimmy John's donated $100,000 to EAT (RED) SAVE LIVES to offer HIV/AIDS medication in sub-Saharan Africa.

[46] In December 2018, Jimmy John's donated $80,000 to pay off all Christmas layaways at Walmart in Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy.

[47] In 2011, Jimmy John's and Richard Childress Racing reached a multi-year agreement to sponsor Harvick for the Sprint Cup Series.

From 2010 to 2019, Jimmy John's entered into an Ultimate Fighting Championship sponsorship with Brock Lesnar with logos appearing on his trunks.

[50] In 2015, Jimmy John's co-sponsored the RCH Factory Racing Supercross and Motocross team featuring Ken Roczen.

[51] In June, Jimmy John's sponsored former NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace for his Speed Energy Formula Off-Road debut at the 2015 X Games.

[58] On February 21, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent an FDA warning letter to Jimmy John's detailing evidence from five outbreaks of human infections with Escherichia coli.

The letter said that the evidence demonstrates that the company engaged in a pattern of receiving and selling spoiled produce, specifically clover sprouts and cucumbers.

In the letter, the FDA says the Iowa Department of Public Health reported that, as of January 2020, a total of 22 people were infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli.