UniVac Restores Jersey Mike’s Franchise Floor, Saves Big on Labor and Supplies

One of the nation’s fastest growing sandwich chains, Jersey Mike’s has over 2,800 locations with more to come. Founded in 1956, the restaurants specialize in subs served on store-baked bread filled with cold cuts and cheese sliced to order. They also offer hot sandwiches, chips, and fountain drinks.

While Jersey Mike’s stores are independently owned and operated, each location must adhere to the company’s seven principals. The number one principal: maintain a clean environment. “Cleanliness is extremely important to Jersey Mike’s,” says Chris Hightower, General Manager, in Roosevelt, FL. “People eat with their eyes first, so a clean store means clean food.”

Cleaning and maintaining the store’s floors, a mix of hardwood in the lobby and tile and grout behind the counter and in the kitchen, proved difficult and time consuming. Using an old school mop and bucket filled with a 50/50 blend of bleach and water, Hightower and his staff of 12 employees regularly spent between 30 to 45 minutes a night sweeping and mopping the 1,000-square-foot restaurant. They then waited another 15 minutes for the floor to dry.

Even after all this time and effort, results were spotty at best. The tile looked cloudy, the wood felt sticky, and the grout never came fully clean. “Hygiene wise, I would rate it a five out of ten,” Hightower admits.

That changed when the Jersey Mike’s franchise owner introduced the UniVac® from Kaivac to Hightower and the team. The machine slashes nightly cleaning time down from nearly an hour to sweep, mop, and dry to between 10 and 15 minutes. “The UniVac saves me a ton on labor costs,” says Hightower.

The UniVac saves me a ton on labor costs. Chris Hightower, General Manager

To be specific, Hightower estimates that paying two workers to clean floors with mops costs up to $22 a night or $4,015 over six months. Two workers using the UniVac cuts that cost to $5.50 a night or just under $1,004 over six months.

But the savings don’t stop there. Hightower went from buying seven mop heads a week to zero. He also notices that towels, once used to dry floors in a rush, now last a full seven days instead of three. Switching to KaiPow™, the degreasing cleaning chemical from Kaivac, also means not having to stock so much bleach. “Plus, it smells much more pleasant,” he says.

Savings are great, but what also impresses Hightower are the consistently clean floors throughout the store. Tile in the kitchen sparkles. The grout, stained black after years of mopping, is changing back to the original tan color. And employees can easily maneuver the UniVac into corners, under cabinets and shelving, and even into the walk-in freezer.

The lobby’s wood floors look totally transformed. “We installed these floors four years ago and they started looking old within the first six months. After cleaning with the UniVac they look brand new. This machine has 100% extended their lifespan,” Hightower reports. “Plus, all the floors are dry, meaning they are safer for my staff.”

The General Manager noticed that the more employees use the UniVac the easier it is to maintain the floors. After demonstrating the machine, staff took to it quickly. “The UniVac makes it so much easier for them,” Hightower says.

Along with nightly cleaning, staff use the UniVac for spill response, especially around the soda machine and nearby rug. “The floor is instantly dry, so we don’t have to put a Wet Floor sign out,” Hightower says.

“The UniVac helps this business run smoother,” reports Hightower. “The floors are noticeably and consistently clean. I hate going to stores without the UniVac!”