Jimmy likes delivery, but Jimmy doesn’t like third-party delivery. In fact, Jimmy won’t ever be using third-party delivery no matter what. This is the message from Jimmy John’s, the inescapable sandwich franchise that has its own in-house delivery team. In a strange press release, the Illinois-based franchise announced it will “never authorize” third-party companies like UberEats or DoorDash to deliver its sandwiches.
“We are, faster, fresher, better value, and more consistent at delivery than the third-party services,” said James North, CEO of Jimmy John’s. “We have a relentless focus on the entire process, from the moment we start slicing fresh produce and baking bread at 6 a.m. to the moment we hand a sandwich to a customer. We want to control the experience from the fresh prep to the handoff to the customer.”
In the company’s own words, this announcement goes against an industry trend in which restaurants are increasingly adopting third-party delivery services. The $13 billion third-party food delivery market is projected to grow at a 13.5 percent annual rate. Despite the widespread adoption of third-party delivery services, research conducted by Service Management Group and a study commissioned by Jimmy John’s and conducted by the Boston Consulting Group, claims that customers have in fact become increasingly dissatisfied with third-party delivery services.
Thirty-five percent of customers who have used such delivery services say they have experienced a problem with their deliveries, Jimmy John’s release read. The company added that seventy-six percent hold the restaurant itself at least partially responsible for any errors. Ninety-two percent of customers expect their food deliveries within 15 to 30 minutes of placing an order, while the largest delivery services average 49-minute delivery times.
“It’s great to get your favorite local restaurant delivered to your door, but at what cost? We want our customers to end up with a perfect sandwich, so we’ll continue to hold ourselves accountable to our own high standards,” North said.
Along with the announcement, Jimmy John’s is launching a national marketing campaign that will include giant billboards highlighting its “delivery promise” and a video showcasing tweets from dissatisfied customers of third-party food delivery companies.
Since we’re on the topic of anti-resolutions, I’d like to announce a few things I personally won’t be doing: sleeping in a house with a pet snake, eating pickled beets and jumping out of an airplane. Now you know, and I feel much better with this off my chest.
