Entrepreneur opens new restaurant in Apopka

While most people were making the transition from celebrating Christmas to preparing for the new year, entrepreneur Neal Wohltmann quietly opened Apopka's newest restaurant last Tuesday. His franchise store is the 18th Jimmy John's location in Central Florida.

The counter-service restaurant specializes in sub and club sandwiches that are made “freaky fresh and fast,” according to Wohltmann, who said sandwiches are ready in 30 seconds or less.

“Our sandwiches are made using real, fresh ingredients,” said Wohltmann. “And our homemade bread is always served freshly baked, and quality meats and vegetables are sliced in-store every day.”

Jimmy John's also delivers. Customers can enter their address at the online ordering page and see if they are in the delivery area. Use this link to see the Jimmy John's menu.

Neal and Lisa Wohltmann are the Jimmy John’s franchise owners. Neal had a corporate job that required travel and he frequently ate at Jimmy John’s, so much so that his boss would often joke about it when approving his expense report. After 18 years with the company, Neal was part of a mass layoff so he needed to determine the next phase of his life. He wanted to be his own boss and loved the food and the concept of Jimmy John’s. So in October of 2015, he and his wife, Lisa, became owners of the Jimmy John’s franchise in Apopka.

Neal has hired two full time managers and approximately 30 part-time employees to staff his restaurant.

The new restaurant is at 3030 East Semoran Blvd. in the Colonial Shoppes at Bear Lake.

Jimmy John's is a franchised sandwich restaurant chain, specializing in delivery. The company has grown since its founding in 1983 to more than 2,500 locations in 46 states.