Behind every fresh Wild Salmon-Wich and Zucchini Grillini is a whole lot of brainstorming, sandwich-making, and taste-testing — and we recently spoke with Director of Product Development Lisa Tillman to get the inside scoop. Even after nearly 34 years in Research & Development at Jason’s Deli, Lisa says her job never fails to surprise. “You’re always doing something new, and working with the food is amazing,” she explains. “A lot of the time, it feels like you’re with family in the kitchen — it’s the hub, the center of everything that’s going on.”

Our official test kitchen opened in 2008 with a scant 250 square feet, and it has since grown to 2500 square feet. It’s large enough now to accommodate workshops, visiting chefs, and school classes alike. (An ... Read More »]]> Curious to learn more about how we design our menu at Jason’s Deli?

Behind every fresh Wild Salmon-Wich and Zucchini Grillini is a whole lot of brainstorming, sandwich-making, and taste-testing — and we recently spoke with Director of Product Development Lisa Tillman to get the inside scoop. Even after nearly 34 years in Research & Development at Jason’s Deli, Lisa says her job never fails to surprise. “You’re always doing something new, and working with the food is amazing,” she explains. “A lot of the time, it feels like you’re with family in the kitchen — it’s the hub, the center of everything that’s going on.”

Our official test kitchen opened in 2008 with a scant 250 square feet, and it has since grown to 2500 square feet. It’s large enough now to accommodate workshops, visiting chefs, and school classes alike. (An enthusiastic group of middle-schoolers was actually responsible for naming our Nutty Mixed Up Salad.) Energy-efficient lighting allows sunlight to stream inside during the day, and team members are free to experiment with all the kitchen equipment they’d find in our regular delis. That way, new products are simulated in the same environment in which they will actually be prepared.

“We start by just getting the creative juices going, bringing the team into the kitchen, and playing around, if you will,” says Lisa. After researching vendors and performing internal focus groups, “the final result goes to our Product & Concepts Committee to get approval to run the items in our test stores.”

Jason’s Deli currently has eleven test stores dispersed across the country to cover various regions and demographics — everywhere from Texas to the Carolinas, Chicago, Arizona, and Florida. These are ordinary delis in every other sense, but the menus are constantly changing to showcase new potential menu items.

It takes each item a year on average to make it through the whole process and, hopefully, onto the menu. “Anytime you customize an item, though, it can be a little slower,” says Lisa. “The product has to be exactly right before we put it into our stores.”

One memorable recent addition was the Wild Salmon-Wich, which introduced a new and delicious protein: grilled wild Alaskan sockeye salmon. Similarly, the Zucchini Grillini offered a healthy new veggie option and officially brought grilled zucchini and artisan nine-grain bread onto the menu.

“We take pride in serving great food,” says Lisa, “and it’s hugely rewarding to be a part of that.”

Currently, there are already new menu items in the works for 2013 and 2014. What would you like to see?

Five members of the Jason’s Deli team recently traveled to Monterey to attend the annual PMA Foodservice Convention and Exposition. The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) has been around since 1949, and its 2200 members represent every sector of the produce industry, from seeds to supermarkets and food service outlets.

“It’s a great learning opportunity and a way for us to meet and interact with our growers and distributors,” says Blake Parker, Chief Innovation Officer. This year the group toured Driscoll’s strawberry breeding facility as well as Earthbound Farms, which is where we get our organic spinach.

“The entire production facility at Earthbound is organic,” explains Blake. “And ... Read More »]]> It’s not just a Beatles song — in sunny California, huge fields of strawberries really do stretch as far as the eye can see. Welcome to Driscoll’s, home of the fresh strawberries that we’ve served in our fruit salads at Jason’s Deli for thirty years.

Ed Wahlenmaier, Director of Purchasing

Five members of the Jason’s Deli team recently traveled to Monterey to attend the annual PMA Foodservice Convention and Exposition. The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) has been around since 1949, and its 2200 members represent every sector of the produce industry, from seeds to supermarkets and food service outlets.

left to right: Kim Andreason (Produce Buyer), Shelley Tortorice, Kristi Parker, Mia White (Senior Purchaser)

“It’s a great learning opportunity and a way for us to meet and interact with our growers and distributors,” says Blake Parker, Chief Innovation Officer. This year the group toured Driscoll’s strawberry breeding facility as well as Earthbound Farms, which is where we get our organic spinach.

“The entire production facility at Earthbound is organic,” explains Blake. “And we’ve always been impressed by the safety precautions they take to ensure that no contaminants come through to the deli.”

How does one go about creating the perfect strawberry, exactly? “It’s a pretty amazing process,” says Blake. “They’ll crossbreed the best plants — the ones with the color and flavor we want — hundreds of thousands of times to produce a single, tiny subspecies. They may only get one commercially viable strawberry plant out of 70,000.”

A produce trade show on Sunday featured dozens of aisles and booths chock-full of everything from grapes and sweet potatoes to pomegranate arils. “We’re always looking for opportunities to bring new ingredients into Jason’s,” says Blake. “But it has to be both flavorful and healthy. We may find the best french fry in the world, but it won’t make it onto the menu because we don’t fry our foods.”

What new ingredients would you like to see at your nearest deli?  We’re listening!

left to right: Blake Parker (Chief Innovation Officer), Joe Tortorice (Founder, CEO)

How You Can Help

Our Aurora deli will be collecting food and monetary donations until August 31 to support GivingFirst.org, an Arvada-based resource for Colorado charities. Additionally, the deli will be donating a portion of its sales between 4-8 p.m. on Mondays. These funds will be sent to various organizations supporting the families of the victims.

For more information about how you can help, please visit GivingFirst.org or contact Meagan Kayl at meagan.kayl@jasonsdeli.com.

We’d like to extend an enormous thank you to everyone who participated! We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by your enthusiastic sandwich-cheffery — and this week, we just couldn’t resist taste-testing ... Read More »]]> Well, folks, we knew this day would come: the Sandwich Shuffle officially ends at midnight, but don’t throw in your dancing shoes just yet! We’ll soon be crowning our very own League of Extraordinary Sandwiches — the winner of the popular vote will take home $5,000, while the first and second prizes ($2,000 and $1,000, respectively) will be decided purely on the basis of deliciousness. Not an easy task, considering the fact that we received over 30,000 mouth-watering entries featuring almost every possible combination of protein, bread, cheese, produce, and spread, from carnivore lovers’ roast beef and hot pepper jack to gluten-free vegetable medleys and even inspired reboots of ye olde PB&J.

We’d like to extend an enormous thank you to everyone who participated! We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by your enthusiastic sandwich-cheffery — and this week, we just couldn’t resist taste-testing a few of your creations.

(Special thanks to our Beaumont friends Mona, Jessica, and Chris for kindly supplying their time, thoughts, and taste buds.)

First up, a tasty vegetarian number courtesy of Kimberly from Fort Myers, Florida, consisting of red pepper hummus on artisan nine-grain bread with grilled zucchini, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, artichokes, and organic field greens.

“The red pepper hummus is my favorite,” Mona says. “It’s the good kind of messy.” Add fresh bell peppers, avocado, or basil pesto if you’re feeling saucy.

Next we have a grilled veggie sandwich on sourdough, with spinach, tomatoes, onions, swiss cheese, shredded asiago, and basil pesto, thanks to Christy from Hereford, Texas.

“I’m not a vegetarian, but I don’t eat a lot of meat — and I prefer meatless sandwiches,” Jessica says. “The Shuffle showed me just how many interesting veggie options there are.” Enjoy the original on sourdough or switch it up with a wheat wrap or herb focaccia.

Lastly, Megan from Addison, Texas put together this savory smoked turkey sandwich on a buttery croissant with bacon, tomatoes, cheddar, lettuce, and mayonnaise. Simple, classic, and delicious — this little number begs you to take it to a summer picnic in the park. 

Operation Taste Test success! “I hope people have enjoyed shuffling ingredients and finding their new favorite sandwich as much as we’ve enjoyed reading the recipes and trying them out!” says Mona.

With hundreds of thousands of possible combinations, the sky’s the limit. Which sandwich are you going to try next?

Jason’s Deli Sandwich Shuffle Competition

Last week, we told you about the first ever Jason’s Deli Sandwich Shuffle.  Today, we are thrilled to announce that the Competition is live and ready to take your order!

All you have to do to play is click here, enter your information, and start adding the ingredients you love to the sandwich of your dreams.  When you’re done, you’ll receive an email with a link back to your sandwich and a few tips from us on how to get more votes.  Remember, the sandwich with the most votes at the end of the competition will win $5,000!

If you run into any problems or have questions about the competition, please contact us at contests@jasonsdeli.com.  We can’t wait to see what you come up with.

May the Sandwich be with you!

The Jason’s Deli Sandwich Shuffle

For the first time ever, Jason’s deli has created a contest to see what you can come up with.  The Grand Prize is $5,000, while second place will win $2,000 and third place will get $1,000!

Starting on June 4th, you will be able to create your own sensation at sandwichshuffle.com.  You can build any sandwich you want  using almost every ingredient in the deli!  Want to build a sandwich with peanut butter and bananas on it, panini pressed?  You can!  Want to build the greatest vegetarian sandwich of all time?  What about a gluten-free sandwich your whole family will love?  It’s all possible when you shuffle our ingredients.

How do I win?

Every week from June 4-July 15, we’ll give away FOUR $100 gift cards — you’re entered for this giveaway just for submitting a sandwich!  However, the ... Read More »]]>

The Jason’s Deli Sandwich Shuffle

For the first time ever, Jason’s deli has created a contest to see what you can come up with.  The Grand Prize is $5,000, while second place will win $2,000 and third place will get $1,000!

Starting on June 4th, you will be able to create your own sensation at sandwichshuffle.com.  You can build any sandwich you want  using almost every ingredient in the deli!  Want to build a sandwich with peanut butter and bananas on it, panini pressed?  You can!  Want to build the greatest vegetarian sandwich of all time?  What about a gluten-free sandwich your whole family will love?  It’s all possible when you shuffle our ingredients.

How do I win?

Every week from June 4-July 15, we’ll give away FOUR $100 gift cards — you’re entered for this giveaway just for submitting a sandwich!  However, the sandwich with the most votes will win the Grand Prize of $5,000, so it’s very important to promote your sandwich if you want to win.  Of course, we’ll help — when the contest begins, we’ll post a list of unique sharing ideas that will help you assemble your own personal army of Sandwich Evangelists!

Don’t forget to try your sandwich at the deli!

When you submit a sandwich to the Shuffle contest, you’ll have the option to print your recipe.  You can take this to the deli and enjoy your tasty sandwich any time.  And isn’t that what building a super awesome sandwich is really all about?

Stay tuned!

Interested in staying up to date on the Shuffle?  You can visit www.sandwichshuffle.com now to sign up for our e-mail list!

That’s why we’ve teamed up with the ADA to spread the word about Alert! Day.  According to our friends at the American Diabetes Association, recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have type 2 diabetes in 2050 unless we take the steps to Stop Diabetes®.

We’ve shown our commitment to healthy food innovation by offering heart healthy items since the 80s, eliminating artificial trans fats in 2005, removing high fructose corn syrup from our menu in 2008, and we said goodbye to artificial dyes in 2010.  We care about serving food that’s rich in nutrients and free of stuff we can’t pronounce — and we think this test from the ADA is incredibly important.  Please take the risk test today ... Read More »]]> At Jason’s Deli, we’re just naive enough to think we can make a difference.

That’s why we’ve teamed up with the ADA to spread the word about Alert! Day.  According to our friends at the American Diabetes Association, recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have type 2 diabetes in 2050 unless we take the steps to Stop Diabetes®.

We’ve shown our commitment to healthy food innovation by offering heart healthy items since the 80s, eliminating artificial trans fats in 2005, removing high fructose corn syrup from our menu in 2008, and we said goodbye to artificial dyes in 2010.  We care about serving food that’s rich in nutrients and free of stuff we can’t pronounce — and we think this test from the ADA is incredibly important.  Please take the risk test today — then share it with someone you love!

Please note that this is the first time we have used our e-mail list to spread a national, non-profit message like this. We want to let you know that we will never give away anyone’s private information, including e-mail addresses.  If you have any feedback about this message, please feel free to let us know what you think by e-mailing feedback@jasonsdeli.com with “ADA Alert Day” in the subject field.  Thank you!

At Jason’s Deli, we are passionate about delicious food.  That’s why we make over 20 of our recipes from scratch in the deli daily, such as our ever popular fruit dip or our family recipe beef stew.  It’s also why we have so many organic ingredients.  The fact is, we care about where our food comes from and we know that you do, too.

Stay on the look out for blog posts that shed light on our relationships with farmers and some of the sourcing challenges we face — it’s not easy to keep the food on your plate free of trans fats, HFCS, and artificial dyes, but we’re simply not willing to compromise.

And ... Read More »]]> You can expect to see lots of human stories in our blog this year, as well as educational resources and behind-the-scenes insight into what makes our company special.

At Jason’s Deli, we are passionate about delicious food.  That’s why we make over 20 of our recipes from scratch in the deli daily, such as our ever popular fruit dip or our family recipe beef stew.  It’s also why we have so many organic ingredients.  The fact is, we care about where our food comes from and we know that you do, too.

Stay on the look out for blog posts that shed light on our relationships with farmers and some of the sourcing challenges we face — it’s not easy to keep the food on your plate free of trans fats, HFCS, and artificial dyes, but we’re simply not willing to compromise.

And because we care about the health of our guests, we are working hard to add ingredient statements on our website for every menu item we serve.  Never again will you have to wonder whether a certain sandwich is a guilty pleasure or a healthy one — it’s all going to be right here on the website.

We’re passionate about people, too — and that means we’re passionate about you!  We’re committed to making our blog a resource for you, whether you’re a parent looking for meal ideas or you’re interested in learning more about our test kitchen.

You can also expect to read about our staff and the way we run our business, including leadership training to improve the professional and personal lives of our managers, a “fishing school” that exists to empower our hourly staff with management skills if they wish to grow their careers, and a Family Fund that creates a safety net for our employees when life throws curve balls.

We’re also passionate about giving our guests a choice.  We have a huge menu with lots of variety, so expect us to help you navigate it with tips on building your own sandwich, eating gluten-free at the deli, our “secret menu,” and much more.

At Jason’s Deli, we truly believe in two-way conversations.  So please comment on our blog posts to let us know what you think and what you want to see.  We love feedback, and we love interacting with you!

Jason’s deli announced this morning that it has no plans to allow raw sprouts back onto its menu until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) develops stronger safety guidelines and/or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends raw sprouts for pregnant women, seniors, young adults and others with compromised immune systems.

“Nobody can argue with the need for food safety regulations,” stated the Jason’s deli founder and CEO, Joe Tortorice, Jr.

On January 24, 2012, in an interview with the industry publication, The Packer, a Jason’s deli spokesperson stated that the company has “lost confidence in sprouts due to food safety concerns.” The deli concept, which has 233 locations in 28 states, pulled sprouts from its locations by January 30th, 2012.

Since then, Jason’s deli has been following sprout related ... Read More »]]> Jason’s Deli Pulled Sprouts Nationally in January 2012 to Protect Customers

Jason’s deli announced this morning that it has no plans to allow raw sprouts back onto its menu until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) develops stronger safety guidelines and/or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends raw sprouts for pregnant women, seniors, young adults and others with compromised immune systems.

“Nobody can argue with the need for food safety regulations,” stated the Jason’s deli founder and CEO, Joe Tortorice, Jr.

On January 24, 2012, in an interview with the industry publication, The Packer, a Jason’s deli spokesperson stated that the company has “lost confidence in sprouts due to food safety concerns.” The deli concept, which has 233 locations in 28 states, pulled sprouts from its locations by January 30th, 2012.

Since then, Jason’s deli has been following sprout related developments in the media, including an NPR interview with Bob Sanderson, the president of the International Sprout Growers Association. According to Sanderson, the sprout industry is following FDA guidelines that suggest the use of fairly high levels of chlorine to reduce the number of bacteria on seeds – a practice that is “inconsistent in its effectiveness.” When asked about alternative methods, Sanderson responds with: “the FDA guidance has just kind of been sitting there. There are have been {sic} eight or more of these research reports into alternatives, but nobody knows if they can use them or not.”

Until the FDA develops stronger guidelines that are proven to avoid issues, Jason’s deli has no plans to purchase and carry the product again on its garden fresh salad bar.

Jason’s deli has been a food innovator since 1976. The company was the first restaurant concept to eliminate artificial trans fats nationally as well as the first to remove high fructose corn syrup from its menu. Jason’s deli believes in clean food that is completely fresh and natural. In fact, the company still receives fresh produce 6 days a week.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Daniel Helfman
February 22, 2012 512.417.0236

It’s been a long journey, many things have changed (Go Organics! No more HFCS!), and we’re just as proud of the spark that ignited it all as we are of our newest deli in Newport News, VA.

We’ve been extremely fortunate to grow up with a truly dedicated family. We’re not all blood related, but we’re united under something bigger than each of us. The vision that launched Joe Tortorice Jr. into the people business, thirty-five years ago guides us still today.

We truly appreciate every one of our guests and each and every member of the Jason’s Deli family. Thank you all for everything you’ve done.