The space that housed N’Awlins for 25 years is getting new life as a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop.
The American chain has signed on for 299 King Street West, the Entertainment District spot where the jazz bar served Louisiana cooking until the pandemic forced it to close permanently in 2020. Jimmy John’s is now fitting out the space as part of a rapid Toronto expansion that’s seeing the brand open multiple GTA locations this year.
It’s one of 11 Canadian stores the chain will have operating by December, with other locations in Winnipeg, Ottawa, Edmonton, Barrie, Windsor, and additional GTA sites. The company opened its first Canadian store in Toronto last year, then added a Niagara Falls location at Fallsview Casino in August.
Different Vibe, Same Corner
Where N’Awlins drew jazz fans and Winterlicious crowds for jambalaya and live music from the N’Awlins All Star Jazz Band, Jimmy John’s will cater to the lunch and late-night crowd with quick sandwiches. The chain built its reputation in the U.S. on “freaky fast” service—sandwiches made and delivered in minutes.
“We’ve been strategically seeking the right Toronto location since acquiring the Canadian franchise rights,” says Kim Slongo, Director of Operations at Foodtastic. “Our approach is deliberate—we won’t simply take the first available space just to establish a presence in a city. We wait for locations that provide optimal brand exposure and allow us to connect with our target guests. This King Street West site delivers on all fronts.”
The King West location puts Jimmy John’s in one of Toronto’s busiest pedestrian corridors. The Entertainment District draws office workers during the day, theatre-goers in the evening, and late-night crowds heading to and from nearby bars and clubs.
“The Entertainment District allows us to serve multiple customer segments throughout the day,” says Slongo. “We’ll capture daytime traffic from residents and office workers, evening theatre crowds, and sports fans attending events at Rogers Centre and Scotiabank Arena. Our location positions us to introduce Jimmy John’s to both Toronto locals and visitors from around the world.”
N’Awlins closed in 2020 after restrictions on indoor dining and live music made it impossible to operate. The restaurant had been a fixture on King West since the mid-1990s, known for its Cajun menu and nightly jazz performances. The space sat empty for several years before Jimmy John’s moved in.
Design Built for Visibility
The King Street location sits directly across from the TIFF Bell Lightbox, home to the Toronto International Film Festival each September. The design takes advantage of the high-profile, high-traffic positioning.
“Our design team created exceptional street presence for this location,” says Slongo. “Once construction wraps, pedestrians will see straight through to our digital menu boards showcasing our sandwiches. The illuminated exterior signage and blade signs featuring the JJ logo ensure visibility day and night. Guests can watch our team preparing sandwiches through the storefront windows, reinforcing our commitment to fresh, made-to-order food.”
Fresh-Baked Bread, Hand-Sliced Everything
Jimmy John’s makes sandwiches the same way it has since founder Jimmy John Liautaud opened the first store in Charleston, Illinois in 1983. French bread is baked throughout the day in-store and never served more than four hours old. Meats—Genoa salami, capocollo, roast beef, turkey, and ham—are hand-sliced daily in every location. Vegetables including lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, and pickles get the same treatment.
The concept started simple: Liautaud had two options after high school, head to the military or open a business. He chose sandwiches, launching with a four-sandwich menu. The chain hit 500 stores by 2007, crossed 1,000 locations in 2010, and reached 2,000 stores by 2014. Today it operates more than 2,600 U.S. locations.
Montreal-based Foodtastic holds the Canadian franchise rights and has added one feature not available south of the border: toasted sandwiches. The company tested the option and found Canadians prefer hot sandwiches to cold ones, so it made toasting available across all Canadian locations.
The rest of the menu stays true to the original. Customers can order on French bread or wrapped in lettuce for a low-carb “Unwich”—a menu addition from 2003 that contains 12 grams or less of total carbs. Sides include Jimmy Chips, kettle-cooked potato chips made with just three ingredients (potatoes, salt, and peanut oil) in flavors like jalapeño and regular. There’s also Kickin’ Ranch made in-house with Jimmy Peppers blended into buttermilk.
The chain uses premium ingredients throughout, including Hellmann’s mayo and Cloverleaf tuna. Sweet Street cookies—Salted Caramel Manifesto and Sandy’s Amazing Chocolate Chunk—round out the dessert options alongside Manifesto Honduran Chocolate Brownies.
Aggressive Growth Plans
“This is an incredibly dynamic time for our team,” says Slongo. “We’re opening multiple locations before year-end across several markets. The energy that comes from launching a new brand, partnering with franchisees, and introducing Jimmy John’s to Canadian communities keeps our entire organization motivated through this ambitious growth phase.”
Foodtastic CEO Peter Mammas says the company wants to open 200 Jimmy John’s locations across Canada over the next decade. That’s an ambitious target that would make it one of the largest U.S. restaurant expansions into Canada in recent years.
“We have a big appetite for opening new stores because we know how much our fellow Canadians appreciate a fantastic-tasting sandwich with fresh ingredients,” Mammas said in August when the Niagara Falls location opened. “We’re always on the hunt for the world’s best food brands and are committed to making these available right here in our country.”
By year-end, Foodtastic will operate 11 Jimmy John’s locations across Canada. The brand will be predominantly franchisee-owned and operated, with Foodtastic maintaining a select number of corporate locations to support operational excellence and training standards.
“Our franchisees have been instrumental in creating local employment opportunities and building community relationships while managing their own recruitment,” says Slongo.
Foodtastic has the muscle to fund the expansion. Founded in 2016, the Montreal company grew system sales from under $50 million to over $1 billion in nine years. It now operates more than 1,200 restaurants across 27 brands, including Milestones Grill & Bar, Second Cup Café, Pita Pit, La Belle et La Boeuf, Freshii, and several rotisserie chicken concepts.
The company’s strategy is to build density in key markets before expanding more broadly. Ontario is getting the bulk of the initial wave of stores, with multiple GTA locations planned alongside openings in other major cities.
Experience Drives Repeat Business
“Delivering an exceptional guest experience from day one is critical,” says Slongo. “The excitement of a new opening brings customers through the door, but quality and service determine whether they return. Our training emphasizes Jimmy John’s foundational pillars: fresh ingredients, product consistency, speed of service, and genuine hospitality. We instill these values during the hiring process and throughout training to ensure every guest wants to come back.”
Jimmy John’s is now owned by Inspire Brands, the restaurant group that also operates Arby’s, Dunkin’, and Baskin-Robbins. The company launched Freaky Fast Rewards in 2019, a loyalty program where members earn points toward free sandwiches, sides, and drinks.
“While 2025 has been transformative for Jimmy John’s in Canada, we’re preparing for even more significant expansion in 2026,” says Slongo. “We’re committed to bringing this brand to communities across the country.”
King West’s Changing Face
The Jimmy John’s opening is the latest shift on King West, which has seen significant turnover in its restaurant lineup over the past few years. The pandemic accelerated closures of longtime establishments, and many of the spaces have been filled by quick-service chains rather than full-service restaurants.
The block between John and Simcoe has traditionally been one of Toronto’s densest concentrations of bars and restaurants, drawing crowds before and after events at nearby venues like the TIFF Bell Lightbox and Roy Thomson Hall. As the neighborhood continues to add residential towers, the mix of tenants is evolving to serve both the evening entertainment crowd and daytime residents.
Dustin Fuhs is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail, Toronto’s premier source for retail and hospitality industry news. As the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication, Dustin brings over two decades of expertise spanning retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality sectors. His experience includes leadership roles with industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Recognized as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025, Dustin delivers insider perspectives on Toronto’s evolving retail landscape, from emerging brands to established players reshaping the city’s commercial districts.