Jason's Deli celebrates 50 years with $25K teacher giveaway

Well back to school shopping isn't just expensive for families. It's also a big expense for teachers, many of whom spend hundreds of dollars out of their own pockets each year to stock their classrooms. So Jason's deli is hoping to ease some of that burden by fulfilling the Amazon wish list of 50 deserving teachers providing up to $500 in classroom supplies for each recipient so joining us now to share more about that we have Stephen Mize with Jason's deli talking about that and also their amazing summer menu as well. So Stephen welcome. Thank you for having me. I got to tell you this is a show stopping spread. So we're going to get into this in just a moment. But first we have to mention the fact that this is the 50th year of Jason's deli late 1976 wow started off just one little store out in Beaumont Texas where 27 states now almost 250 locations. So we're very proud of it very very nice and I feel like this initiative with teachers kind of works into the mission of the company like right this it fits absolutely definitely we've had something called the community partners program. For as long as I've been with the company and it's something that we've always let our houses of worship place of schools K through 12. They get like a special menu that they get to order off of instead actually this year and honor the 50th anniversary. We're just doing 25% off the whole catering menus like if it's a charcuterie board this this fruit tray any of that schools they can get 20 or a 25% off their orders and very nice. Yeah, you know I didn't know that you could get a charcuterie from y'all to go get cater absolutely would be if you are at something and they brought in this. I mean that's a huge way it really pops out to and we also do like we have a huge salad bar Jason's got one of our pride and joy, but we now do the salad bar catered in the exact same box very similar presentation. You can pick out which ingredients you want to bring the cell bar with to you so it's it's cool. Do you also have that Mediterranean wrap because that was my J I mean I need to pop in to get another one of those I survived on those solely for sure we call that a chalkboard favorite so we'll still gladly make it for you anytime you see it on the menu, but just ask will still there. Okay, so you all know what I'm talking about when I stop in to order that okay, let's take a break now and talk about this initiative you guys have going on to to help get school supplies into classrooms for teachers, what is it how do we nominate a teacher for the year we partner with the doctor pepper for this and they they rounded up $25,000 $500 to each teacher that wins. So they're doing 50 teachers, you can go to Jason's daily dot com you can nominate your teacher there. You have until Monday so Monday, the 27th of those nominations and absolutely and yeah, they're just there to help teachers, you know when you said it earlier, you know it's expensive, you know, yeah, it is and yes, I think folks are always surprised to hear how much teachers are contributing of their own money to the classroom so that could go a long way $500 could go a long way for a teacher absolutely yeah, so very very important that if you've got a teacher in your life to get on and nominate them before Monday, so at the very end of this will tell you how you can do that but first you've got to walk me through what you brought here today, Stephen because this it looks amazing from the pasta salad all the way down here, yeah with that all of this morning, myself pasta salads, one of our newest additions to the menu, it's got like a Mexican Street corn crema to it and it's mixed in with a corn and black beans also that we've had on our menu for years. So it's a kind of it's a nice little mix of the both of those. It's like it's got a little bit of a kick to it for sure this sandwich over here. I could not be more excited my friends family I the second I tasted about a year ago like in preparation for the rollout this year. I texted home, I was like guys this and which is really and has to say all that let me grab one of these is back when okay, yeah, go right ahead and give it a try okay, a little spicy yeah, absolutely caprese panini comes out every single year with Jason's deli so get it right now in the summertime, it's so good. And you are a lion shark. Word right here. Yeah, everything fresh delicious. Yeah, thank you it's very good. Wow. Has that been a favorite. Absolutely so I all you know for sure everyone help themselves, but it's one of those things where I've seen people come in order the sandwich and I'll be like hey if you have this before like yeah, actually I have I'm coming back to get and it's only been on menu for a couple weeks. So yeah, we're we're very excited winner that's okay and I interrupted you on this is called real caprese panini we make this one with chicken right here we can do it without chicken if you want something a little bit more classic a little bit lighter, but it's just a summer standard we've been doing it every single summer as long as I can remember yeah, that's classic right there absolutely much better than that okay, and that's still I mean this got has everything that you would possibly need to put together a fantastic charcuterie for sure absolutely very very good. Okay, so what other menu items do you like you know you mentioned that you all are known for your salad bar so we've been talking about those potatoes here this morning and fond memories with with the Jason's deli potatoes, but what are some other. What are some other favorites okay for me personally, I'm so excited, yes is because like for 50th year we've introduced a sandwich called the cowboy club, it's something that Texas deli is where we're based out of his always had that the brisket just a little hard to get to all of our other locations and so for this year only just in celebration we have that so it's just a huge barbecue sandwich oh my God over a half pound of brisket smoked in Austin, it's delicious that sounds like a winner potatoes, yeah, all for that as well free ice cream ice cream at the Jason's don't tell the kids or do that's one way to get him to to finish their lunch or dinner and that's a free ice cream that's always a treat. So how does this feel for you, I mean you're working for an organization that obviously has amazing food, but has really great initiatives to that has to feel rewarding absolutely most definitely and it's something that you know I I'm working on my 13th year with Jason's deli but and all the locations I go to I'm still kind of the baby at a lot of these stores, plenty of people that have been with the company for over 20 years even longer just they've taken care of their people and just something they truthfully believe in and you know that extends to the community as well because we are part of our community. So yeah, when you have those long timers and speaks volumes of the company culture and all the good stuff will Stephen thank you so much for stopping in today, I appreciate you having me yeah and you are right now that was delicious to get a little bite myself. It was really good. Stephen Meisler Jason's deli hanging with us today and if you caught we were talking about with nominating a deserving teacher. Well you need to do that before Monday July 27 so that is the deadline for this winners will be selected and notified July 30th and if you'd like more information on all this you can head to Jason's deli dot com.