Clevelanders now have the opportunity to be a part of Erbert & Gerbert’s culture with the June 13 opening of the chain’s first Ohio location within The Cleveland Clinic at Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights. The new franchise is owned by Sean Miller of Medina and his business partner, James Oot, of Frederick, Md.
“We just love Erbert & Gerbert’s food and thought it was a great concept to introduce to the Cleveland area because of its uniqueness,” Miller said. The franchise company is headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and boasts over 91 locations in twelve states, with locations ranging from urban centers to rural areas.
“The hottest and latest direction for E&G,” said company president and CEO Eric Wolfe, “is to add locations in universities, hospitals, college campuses, airports and we even just opened a location at the Minneapolis Zoo. We think we will have many, many more coming to Cleveland area and building all over Ohio.
Our theme is Flavornation”, continued Wolfe, “because all of our sandwiches are so unique and flavorful. You won’t find sandwiches like ours anywhere else.”
How else would one describe Erbert & Gerbert’s world, where sandwiches have names like Narmer, Bornk, Jacob Bluefinger and Girf and there is a dedication to serving better, more flavorful sandwiches than anyone else in the universe?
Where else would you find sandwiches like the Spartan with chicken, cherrywood-smoked bacon and Peppadew mustard or the Quatro with chicken and bacon, as well, but also cranberry wasabi that combines the tangy sweetness of cranberries with the heat of horseradish?
The first Erbert & Gerbert’s was opened in Eau Claire, Wis., in January 1988 by Kevin Schippers and his wife, Beth. The concept was developed out of the childhood stories that Kevin’s father, David, told to his 10 children about the imaginary adventures of brothers Erbert and Gerbert Herbert. Each sandwich is named after a character the boys meet as they travel through time and space, learning a little bit about history and science, but mostly about being a friend. Thus, every Erbert & Gerbert’s sandwich has a unique story behind it.
After building the chain to 23 locations, Schippers decided to enter the ministry in 2003 and sold Erbert & Gerbert’s to an investment group led by Wolfe, who had a history of developing small companies. By adding a number of talented industry veterans to his executive team, Wolfe has Erbert & Gerbert’s positioned for strong growth.
“Our executive team is made up of highly experienced people from such brands as Famous Dave’s BBQ, International Dairy Queen, Panera and Hardee’s,” Wolfe said. “Some of those same people were also franchisees, so they understand both sides of our company. We know what it takes to become a national brand and we are growing in the best possible way and in the best possible locations.”
The company’s growth for 2016 is targeted in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, North and South Dakota, Texas and Nebraska. The next slated openings are in Dallas and Michigan. To learn more visit www.erbertandgerberts.com.
