Downtown Newton Jimmy John’s closes

Locals will have to go somewhere else to get “freaky fast” sandwiches.

Staff members at the Jimmy John’s in downtown Newton announced in a notice taped to the door of the 117 W. Second St. N. establishment that they “made the very difficult decision to close,” effective this past Wednesday.

“It has been our pleasure to serve the City of Newton over the last few years,” the statement said. “We would like to give you a heartfelt thank you for your patronage and support.”

The fast food chain, which is known for its sub sandwiches and delivery services, has since ridded its Newton location of its facade signage. Windows have been covered with what appears to be black garbage bags, too.

Erin Yeager, the executive director of Newton Main Street, said crews were removing the Jimmy John’s logo and exterior signage Wednesday morning. By noon, the locks were changed.

Amanda Price, executive director of the Greater Newton Area Chamber of Commerce, said she had heard the downtown eatery was losing money and was likely to close if it could not sustain itself.

There was an attempt by Newton Jimmy John’s Store Manager Zach Sudbrock to purchase the local franchise in hopes that it would remain open, Price said. However, this did not happen.

“It’s another one of those cases of the community has to eat there and they have to support it in order for it to stay open,” Price said. “Restaurants are a tough gig. They’re just expensive with a ton of overhead and it’s hard to keep them open.”

Newton Jimmy John’s opened in November 2012 and had hired roughly 25-30 employees at that time, Newton Daily News previously reported.

Now, the challenge the Newton Chamber of Commerce and Newton Main Street face is filling that particular space. Right now, Price said she does not know what all is still left inside the departed Jimmy John’s, but she imagines it could benefit another restaurant tenant.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com