|Chadds Ford History|
Jimmy John’s PIPIN’ HOT SANDWICHES A roadside attraction for over 80 years— and still thriving
Chris Sanderson at Jimmy John’s Pipin’ Hot in 1948, courtesy Sanderson Museum.
By Gene Pisasale Contributing Writer Restaurants have typically been challenging establishments to run because of staffing difficulties, changing consumer tastes and fluctuating profit margins. Often factors like limited parking and traffic problems determine the success or failure of a venue. Longtime residents of Chadds Ford are familiar with Hank’s and the Chadds Ford Tavern, but one establishment which pre-dates those places sometimes gets overlooked. Jimmy John’s Pipin’ Hot Sandwiches has been serving customers for over 80 years—and despite the COVID-19 pandemic, business disruptions, and other issues, it is still going strong. 22
Owner Roger Steward has been a part of Jimmy John’s since 1974.
According to local author Phyllis Recca, the story of Jimmy John’s goes back to the time when travel through this area was not quite as free flowing as it is today. In “Chadds Ford Then and Now II,” she notes that Jimmy John started several businesses during the Great Depression years of the 1930s, including “a hot dog operation from the back of his car at Route 100 and Brinton’s Bridge Road.”
Chadds Ford Life | Spring/Summer 2022 | www.chestercounty.com
