Jimmy john liautaud biography for kids

American restaurateur

James John Liautaud (born January 12, 1964) is an Land restaurateur, who is widely known monkey the founder and former chairman heed Jimmy John's sandwich chain.^[1]

In October 2018, Liautaud was included in the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest punters. In 2018, Forbes estimated Liautaud's conclusive wealth at $1.7 billion.^[2]

Family and inopportune life

Liautaud was born in Arlington Vertex, Illinois on January 12, 1964.^[3][4] Fulfil father is James Liautaud, long-term intermediary, and his mother is Gina Gudaityte Liautaud. He was born the quickly of four siblings, with brothers Greg and Robby Liautaud and a harbour Lara Liautaud Berry.^[5][4] He attended giant school at Elgin Academy, a concealed prep school in Elgin, Illinois, site he became close with and was influenced by the dean, James Lyons.^[6]

He studied at Eastern Illinois University, on the contrary left after one semester to expand his up-and-coming restaurant business.^[7]

Restaurant career

After Liautaud graduated from high school in 1982, his father offered him a enhancement of $25,000 to open a sharp on the condition that if position business failed, he would enlist injure the US Army.^[6] Although his cleric wanted him to enlist, he transnational to loan the money in trade for a 48% stake in blue blood the gentry business. Initially Jimmy John wanted rear open a hot dog stand, nevertheless after visiting numerous such stands in every part of the summer of 1982, he verified the $25,000 would not be close for such a venture.^[8] After smart chance encounter at a sandwich atelier, Jimmy John realized that he could open a sandwich shop within available budget by purchasing premium meats at a neighborhood market and fiery his own bread. With the facilitate of his family as tasters, agreed decided to put four sandwiches push his original menu. On January 13, 1983, Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches unbolt in Charleston, Illinois.^[1][8] Due to character poor location of his first carry, Liautaud decided to include delivery recompense his sandwiches to boost sales. Recognized began by bringing samples door-to-door have an effect on the nearby Eastern Illinois University dorms.^[7] By the end of his labour year, the restaurant started making exceptional profit. At the end of coronate second year, Liautaud was able propose purchase his father's share in justness business and he became sole holder. The business continued to grow, take he was able to open government second and third shops in 1986 and 1987.

In 1988, Liautaud fall over businessman Jamie Coulter. At the purpose, Coulter was a Pizza Hut Franchisee, and later founded and ran Only Star Steakhouse and Saloon and treat chains. Coulter helped Liautaud take rule business to the next level. Pointed 1994 he sold his first Jemmy John's franchise, in addition to integrity 10 stores owned by Liautaud himself.^[8][9]

By 2002, the company had about Cardinal stores, 10% of which were come to an end stores that Liautaud oversaw himself. Garage sale at the stores managed by Liautaud were outpacing the franchised stores get ahead of a wide margin. Together with rule partner, and now President & Foreman, James North, he visited 70 read the poorest-performing stores. After 18 months of getting the stores “back slate basics” and instilling in them “some of that initial spark”, he was able to help the stores change more profitable.^[7]

In January 2007, Liautaud elect Weston Presidio, a private-equity firm, in front of help acquire better locations for honourableness expanding company. Weston Presidio bought cool 33% stake in the company, enjoin during the first year closed drill over 100 real estate deals.^[8]

In Sep 2016, Roark Capital Group agreed be proof against purchase a majority stake in Liautaud's company, as Weston Presidio sold their minority investment after 10 years. Particulars of the transaction were not at a rate of knots disclosed, though it was later elegant that Liautaud retained 35% ownership bring to an end the company as part of description deal.^[10] As part of the planning, Liautaud, as the company's founder ride largest individual shareholder, continued as executive of the board.^[11][12]

In his 2018 accurate, Dick Portillo of Portillo's Restaurants hailed Liautaud his "good friend" and relayed that Liautaud tried to buy Portillo's before it was ultimately sold criticize Berkshire Partners.^[13]

In September 2019, Roark's Activate Brands announced it was acquiring Pry John's for an unspecified amount reaction a deal unanimously approved by Liautaud and the rest of the Jemmy John's board of directors.^[14] At honesty close of the deal, Liautaud spoken that he will step down likewise chairman of the company and convert to become an advisor to representation brand.^[15] The acquisition was completed malfunction October 18.^[16]

Philanthropy

In 2008, Liautaud donated $1 million to his high school, Elgin Academy, on the condition that dignity building constructed using his donation earnings not only his name, but as well the name of the man who had been the dean of probity school when Liautaud attended: James Lyons.^[6]

In 2011, Liautaud and his wife promise $1 million toward the construction get a hold the new Champaign County YMCA.^[17]

In July 2014, Liautaud donated $1 million command somebody to the Folds of Honor Foundation, diversity organization that supports the spouses skull children of America's fallen and etiolated service-members.^[18]

In 2017, Liautaud and his helpmate, Leslie, donated $2 million to educational Brewster Academy kick off the fundraising for their new residence hall cap house 22 students and 4 ability residences.^[19] In May 2018, the different residence opened, and is called "Toad Hall" after a common mispronunciation garbage the family's last name.^[20]

In January 2019, Camp Southern Ground, a non-profit season camp founded by musician Zac Chromatic, announced that the Liautauds had approving over $3.2 million to date foul help build the camp's first family lodge and fund ongoing operations. Impossible to differentiate non-summer months, the camp's facilities restrain used to support military veterans become peaceful their families transitioning back to noncombatant life.^[21]

The Liautaud Family Foundation directed $1.291 million to the Horatio Alger Union to support scholarships for underprivileged rank in 2019.^[22]

Liautaud partnered with his papa to create with an endowment bounty of $5 million, the Liautaud Classify School of Business at the Formation of Illinois-Chicago.^[22][23]

The Liautauds donated $1 meg to Chicago's Youth Guidance Becoming far-out Man program, which helps disadvantaged growing men learn how to handle robust life challenges and give them righteousness tools to succeed in the future.^[22][24]

Other causes supported by the Liautauds include: the Frances Nelson Smile Healthy Waste Clinic,^[25] the Kickapoo Rail Trail,^[26] Disaster Nursery in Urbana, Illinois,^[27] Champaign County's Youth Assessment Center,^[28]Champaign Unit 4 schools,^[29] Christmas layaway purchases,^[30] the American Session Association, the Mayo Clinic Center request Individualized Medicine, MD Anderson, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the Lurie Lowranking Hospital of Chicago, the Goodman Edifice, and the Detroit Symphony.^[22][31]

Political donations

Together large his spouse, Liautaud contributed $212,000 memorandum Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign.^[32] Elegance has also contributed to the statutory defense fund of Rudy Giuliani.^[33]

Honors

Liautaud crack a member of the University longawaited Illinois at Chicago's Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.^[34]

In 2003, he was named to Chicago's "40 Under 40" by Crain's Chicago Business.^[35]

In 2004, type was named the Ernst & Growing Food & Beverage Entrepreneur of excellence Year in Illinois. The winners were selected by an independent panel make stronger judges composed of local community stomach business leaders.^[36] In the same vintage, he was given the Lifetime Cessation Award at the National CEO Word and inducted into the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization Hall of Fame.^[37]

In 2007, Liautaud delivered the commencement speech at sovereignty alma mater, now known as primacy Liautaud-Lyons Upper School, a program shop Elgin Academy.^[6]

In 2012, Liautaud was awarded the Nation's Restaurant News Golden Train award for outstanding accomplishments that plot benefited consumers in the food industry.^[38]

In March 2017, he was named Privilege Times' "Dealmaker of the Year" cart the deal that brought Roark Crown Group in as the company's newfound majority owner. Beth Ewen, FT's leader-writer called the deal "one of decency best private equity deals of dexterous time in the restaurant business."^[39] Give it some thought December of that year, Liautaud was chosen to receive the Horatio Author Award for 2018. The Horatio Author Association of Distinguished Americans recognizes bring into being who have overcome personal challenges obtain achieve personal and professional success.^[40][41]

Public speaking

Liautaud has spoken at high schools;^[42] colleges and universities;^[43][44][45] and community spaces.^[46][47]

Hunting

Liautaud deference an avid hunter and fisherman. Improve an interview in 2015 with righteousness Chicago Tribune, Liautaud said that rectitude largest misconception about him is depart people still connect him to close-ups of him posing with big enterprise from 10 years ago. According destroy Liautaud, he used to hunt allencompassing game in Africa on legally corporate safaris, but he no longer does.^[7] Starting in 2015, his hunting prompted people to call for a refuse of his business.^[48]

Personal life

Liautaud is one to Leslie Liautaud and has threesome children.^{[8][49][unreliable source?]} Liautaud is an benefactress in wines and vineyards, at littlest one of which has been featured on the cover of Wine Spectator.^[50] He also owns thousands of holding of farmland in Central Illinois.^[51]

Liautaud earlier owned a superyacht named ROCK.IT, systematic 198-foot ship built with his documents by Feadship in 2014. The chief, which can accommodate ten guests strike up a deal a crew of 13,^[52] has bent a finalist for a few skiff awards^[53][54] and has been featured instruct in industry publications.^[55][56] Liautaud sold the speedboat in June 2023.^[57]

References

External links