Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Serious about Schlotzsky’s
More menu items than ever... sandwiches, soups, salads, pizzas, mac and more
J.J. Ramsey is serious about Schlotzsky’s.
“My parents were franchisees,” the 37-year old restaurant owner said. “I started working there as a kid. They sold their franchise years ago. I applied with (Schlotzsky’s) corporate in Austin, Texas and got the job.”
J.J. moved south to the Lone Star State from his home in Tulsa and became a business consultant for the company. He traveled the country and soon fate stepped intervened.
“I met the previous owner of the Northwest Arkansas Schlotzsky’s during my travels,” he said. “Over a couple years we worked out a deal and the rest is history. I moved here in 2015 and we took over the operation in June of the same year.”
Now, J.J. owns and operates Schlotzsky’s restaurants in Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale.
While in Austin J.J made another acquaintance who would soon factor into his life. He met Hortencia, his future wife and business partner.
“I uprooted her from Texas,” he recounted. “We went into this together. We both put our life savings in it and she is my fifty-percent partner. We discuss everything before we do anything.”
The Original
When you talk with J.J. it’s obvious, he’s all business and believes in maintaining high standards.
“The most important thing is the product,” he explained. “No one compares. There is nothing like it out there. We bake our bread from scratch every day. You can’t get that taste anywhere else. Not at any sandwich shop, corner bakery or any place. That’s what sets us apart from the competition.”
But, he pointed out, a sandwich is more than just bread.
“We only use fresh bread, fresh meats and fresh veggies,” he said. “It’s a product I’m proud to serve. That’s what makes the brand appealing to a wide audience and, of course to me.”
It’s no surprise the restaurant’s best selling menu item is The Original, Schlotzsky’s signature sandwich.
“That’s the best selling sandwich by far,” he said. “That’s what started us. The Original is the only sandwich that was sold in Schlotzsky’s stores for three years. The original is No. 1 still and it’s what we are known for. I had one today.”
The Original is served on sour dough bread with cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. It comes piled high with ham, two kinds of salami, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mustard and olives. It was several years before the chain introduced additional offerings to their growing menu.
“We have a huge menu now,” he said. “It’s sandwiches, pizzas, salads, flat breads, soups and mac & cheese. Our other best sellers include the Turkey Bacon Club and our Fan Favorite. It’s the Chicken Bacon Smokecheesy. It’s huge seller. People love our Ruben and the California Chicken Avocado Flatbread.”
Soups on
As fall weather arrives and the temperatures drop, soup will be on everyones mind and Schlotzsky’s has it covered.
“We have great soups,” J.J. said. “We have Broccoli Cheese, Loaded Baked Potato, Tomato Basil and French Onion. Those are the four soups we have daily. I run an extra one in Springdale and Rogers. We also do a Chicken and Wild Rice, Chicken Tortilla, Veggie Soup and our Chili. They are all wonderful. Our soups are low calorie, made with fresh ingredients and are good for you.”
Versatility is key to Schlotzsky’s success, J.J. said.
“Any sandwich can be turned into a wrap or put on a gluten free pizza crust or bun,” he said. “We have five delicious salads and you can do a Pick Two and get a half sandwich and salad or a bowl of soup. You have a lot of options to put together.”
With the holidays rolling around, J.J. knows he will be getting more catering orders and he and his three teams are ready to deliver to office parties and events around the area.
“We love to cater and we offer free delivery on orders more than $50.” he noted. “I don’t think anybody else does.”
While Schlotzsky’s is happy to take walk-in catering orders, J.J. suggests an easier way.
Order catering online at schlotzskeys. com,” he said. “That’s the best way because you can get lots of rewards and the order gets automatically sent to the store. You pay online and we will deliver when you want it, set up and leave. You can call 855-DELIVER and a catering specialist will assist you, take the order and send you an invoice.”
But, J.J. added, customers can still simply call the local store and place their order, too.
“We’ll make it happen,” he said. “At Schlotzsky’s we say... ‘The answer is yes, what’s the question.’”