He couldn’t find a location for the new sub shop. After five years of searching, he came up with a creative solution. The old Pier 1 location at the eastern end of the Staples Plaza on Route 12A was much too large for a Jersey Mike’s, but the Staples Plaza owners didn’t want to break the building into smaller businesses. So Chris bought the whole thing—all 9,300 square feet—and started remodeling.

Chris has designated 2,000 square feet for his Jersey Mike’s Subs shop and will sublet the rest of the space to other businesses who don’t need a giant storefront. T-Mobile will move into one of the remaining spaces by the end of the year. Even though this is a first for Chris, this move shows our retail culture’s shift to smaller, more flexible spaces. Big-box stores like JCPenney and Kmart just aren’t the social norm anymore.

Even though Chris already has Jersey Mike’s locations in Keene, Hudson, Tilton, and Manchester, finally opening up a shop in West Lebanon brings him great joy and satisfaction that he finally made it work. When you’re looking for a quick place to grab lunch in the Upper Valley’s commercial shopping district this summer, stop by Jersey Mike’s Subs in the Staples Plaza on Route 12A!