Press Kit

Jerry's Press Kit

OVERVIEW
Jerry's is at heart a sandwich shop, offering in excess of 100 sandwiches, including named sandwiches, warm sandwiches, various burgers, and a large collection of daily specials. The daily specials highlight Jerry's keen interest in regional specialties and what might be more be more typically considered dinner entrees. The specials list can be view here. Also featured are over 70 ingredients for assembling custom sandwiches. Augmenting this Bumsteadian lineup are homemade soups and chilis, interesting sides such as mac & cheese and red beans & rice, and desserts.

Beverages include an eclectic assortment of cold beverages, homemade lemonade, and Metropolis coffee. Jerry's Wicker Park boasts a collection of over 140 American craft beers, both in bottle and on draft.

Jerry's spins some fine music from a digital database of tens of thousands of songs, and Jerry's Wicker Park offers live music during much of the week.

Jerry's West Loop, 1045 W. Madison, opened in March of 2002.
Jerry's Wicker Park, 1938 W. Division, opened in July of 2007.

HISTORY
Jerry's was opened in 2002, mostly on a whim, at the front of the Bires & Friedler Catering kitchen on Madison Street. With the rent paid, and watching the former skid row neighborhood develop around us, Mark opened a sandwich shop. Not just any sandwich shop - the idea was to open an edgier sandwich shop serving ersatz restaurant entrees, obscure regional stuff, and basically anything else on bread, and calling it a sandwich. In a nutshell, the idea was that if you've got a pot roast, bread, mayo, and some Louisiana hot sauce, you've got yourself a heck of a sandwich.

On opening day, Mindy, then a lawyer, was enticed by a free lunch to help with the opening, and the rest is history.

The original incarnation had only 5 stools at the front window, but by the end of the first day the office table and chairs had been commandeered. The original Jerry's now seats 30 indoors and 20 more outdoors. The newer Wicker Park Jerry's seat approximately 80 indoors and 40 out.

What was then a much more limited menu has today evolved to the large menu mentioned above. We would say that the heart of Jerry's is to be found in the daily specials; however, the majority of customers come in for their favorite blackened chicken, avocado & chipotle chutney or a like combination off of the regular menu.

BIOGRAPHIES OF PRINCIPALS
The biography of Jerry's principals is the not too infrequent tale of professional unrest and woe.

MINDY FRIEDLER. Mindy is the operations manager, overseeing both Jerry's and Black Rooster Catering (formerly Bires & Friedler). She draws heavily on her college waitressing experience. Mindy had a 20 year career as an attorney and legal consultant at some of the city's top firms. She abandoned it all for the greater glory of the restaurant business. Mindy is a graduate of the University of Michigan and NYU Law School. Mindy is married to a lovely man whose positive attributes are too numerous to mention here.

MARK BIRES. Mark is the chef with twenty+ years experience in catering, foodservice, restaurant and retail. His cooking reflects strong interests in classic American regional cooking, especially the cuisine of New Orleans. Mark is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, and, almost, the University of Chicago Law School. Mark is married to Mindy.

PRESS & ACCLAIM
(01/08) "the newer Wicker Park location . . . was just the signature stamp needed to carry the handheld creations into the dinner hour. . . the possibilities are endless." (Time Out Chicago "2008 Top Trends")

(10/07) "You’d think the original Earl of Sandwich had set up shop in Wicker Park." (Chicago Magazine)

(12/06) One of the "100 Best Things We Ate This Year" (Time Out Chicago)

(11/06) 2nd Place in Time Out Chicago's chili competition. (Missed 1st by 1 vote.)

(10/06) "Finding the perfect sandwich . . . plus 99 more." (www.centerstage.com)

(08/06) Audience selection for Best Sandwich 2006 in Citysearch.com.

(07/06) Added to "Time Out Chicago" list of best restaurants.

(07/06) "...the place to be discovered in the West Loop. . . . the food is good. . . the atmosphere is fun. . . the staff is super pleasant and interesting." (The Chicago Journal)

(11/05) "I suggest you take your family to Jerry's. . . which has a phenomenal family of sandwiches...." (Phil Vettel)

(12/04" "Ode To A Sandwich, How Do We Love Thee?: Jerry's draws a lunchtime crowd of Dagwood Bumsteads...." (Chicago Tribune)

(08/04) "...Jerry's might be the best thing since, well, someone decided to put a meal between sliced bread." (New City)

(10/03) "...one of the most creative sandwich shops in town...." (Local Palate)