On at least three occasions, I've eaten and then posted about sandwiches wherein the bread is replaced by something else. The first was KFC's Double Down, which has fried chicken patties as the "bread", which I discussed back on May 8, 2014. And then Taco Bell's Naked Chicken Chalupa, which has an outer shell made from pressed fried chicken enclosing the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, and sauce. And finally, very recently, another KFC abomination, the Chicken and Donut Sandwich, which I talked about on February 29, 2020. Today I'll do the opposite. The large sandwich fast food store Jimmy John's makes something called an Unwich--a sub (or hoagie, or grinder, depending on what part of the U.S. you reside in) which instead of an outer roll made from bread is encased in big slices of lettuce.
This establishment is, not shockingly, named after the founder--Jimmy John Liautaud. Liautaud had a shaky start, but recovered impressively. He reportedly graduated second to last in his class at the Elgin Academy, an Illinois-based college prep school, in 1982. Therefore, his father gave him two choices--join the Army, or start his own business. Initially Liautaud thought he'd start a restaurant that specialized in hot dogs, but he reconsidered and went with sandwiches instead, aided by a $25,000 loan from his dad. The sandwich shop, located in Charleston, IL, blossomed quickly, helped by Liautaud's decision to offer delivery to the nearby Eastern Illinois University students. By 1985 Jimmy John was able to buy out his father's 48% ownership share, and therefore become sole owner, and by 1986 he was able to open a second restaurant. In 1988 Liautaud was mentored by Jamie Coulter, a successful restaurant executive, who later founded the lucrative Lone Star Steakhouse chain. Franchising of Jimmy John's started in 1994. By October of 2018 Forbes Magazine estimated Liautaud's personal worth at about 1.7 billion dollars, and there are currently over 2800 individual Jimmy John's restaurants in the U.S. On October 18, 2019 Liautaud sold his business to Inspire Brands, which in turn is owned by the humongous Roark Capital Group. There have been a few controversies along the way. There were some labor issues consisting of alleged illegal non-competing clauses in the Jimmy John's employee contracts back in 2014, and in 2015 many were outraged about Liautaud's participation in big game hunting. (He's since claimed that he stopped this hunting.) On the positive side, Jimmy John's charitable contribution targets include the families of killed or disabled soldiers, providing HIV/AIDS medication to Sub Saharan Africans, and paying the Christmas layaways of needy folks at Wal-Mart. Finally, Liautaud owns something called a "superyacht," a craft which is 198 feet long.
I should mention that the Unwich is clearly catering to people following diets which eschew carbohydrates, such as Atkins and the Keto (Ketogenic) diet. I think most people have an idea about Atkins, but I'll expand upon the Keto one a bit since it's newer. Evidently the Keto diet was first developed to reduce epileptic seizures in kids. However, recently some have adapted it for weight loss, and presumed better health for adults who don't have epilepsy. The diet involves avoiding fruit, vegetables, and grains, and consuming lots of protein and fat. Obviously, the legitimacy of alternative diets is often a heated issue. Clearly, the Keto diet has its adherents. However, I did read an article written by a Harvard dietitian which voiced some concerns about this diet. She warned that being on it could lead to nutrient deficiencies, liver and kidney problems, constipation, and even erratic moods and poor cognition. So, in short, if you're considering adapting the Keto diet, or any diet, for that matter, probably best to investigate it thoroughly, and consult your physician, etc., before embarking on it.
Jimmy John's Turkey Tom Unwich: The Turkey Tom is one of their regular offerings, which consists of turkey, lettuce, and tomato. I also got onions and mayo on mine. And I ordered the eight inch one, not the sixteen inch large sub. Anyway, as advertised this concoction was the innards listed above wrapped in a large sheath of lettuce (iceberg), with a paper sleeve at the end to prevent the innards from falling out. The taste was okay. I like this type of sub/hoagie in general, so even missing a usual key component it was still good. It looked weird, and was a little strange to eat, but it wasn't bad or anything. That said, since I'm not an adherent of an anti-carb diet I don't plan on getting it again. Actual bread certainly improves the overall flavor and experience of a sandwich, in my opinion. In closing then, it you are on a low carb diet I guess this would be a viable and tasty alternative, but if you're not I really don't see the point. From a restaurant's perspective I think it's smart, though--Jimmy John's can get business from folks that it wouldn't normally, and there isn't much added cost or fuss. If anything, I'm sure it's cheaper than the bread encased sandwich. Moving on, I am enjoying trying different types of sandwiches, though, made with vastly different ingredients, and with various structures. I hope to add more in the future.
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