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Jimmy John's buying Hawaii resident free house in Oklahoma

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December 16, 2019

Jimmy John's has chosen a Honolulu resident as the winner of its "Home in the Zone" contest, which awarded one super fan a home inside a Jimmy John's delivery zone.

After receiving 226,000 essay entries from fans across America, Jimmy John's selected Tania T., an occupational therapist assistant who treats active duty and retired military veterans at a brain injury clinic. She'll receive up to $250,000 toward the purchase of a home of her choosing within one of Jimmy John's 2,800-plus sandwich delivery zones in the country. She'll be leaving Hawaii for Oklahoma City, according to a press release.

"I just feel super blessed and super excited to be able to move back home to Oklahoma so I can order Jimmy John's again," Tania said. "There's not a sandwich on this island that compares."

In August, the company launched the contest to prove just how serious it was about ensuring the freshest food delivery service in the country. Earlier this year, Jimmy Johns announced that it would never authorize a third-party service to deliver its sandwiches because they don't meet its  high standards for efficient, reliable  and affordable delivery. It then launched a national campaign that highlighted its commitment to only deliver within five minutes of stores to maximize freshness, followed with buying someone a house so they could deliver them a sandwich, which was the perfect way to showcase their unwavering commitment to Freaky Fresh delivery, CMO John Shea said in the release. 

"We were overwhelmed to receive so many wonderful entries from Jimmy John's super fans across the country who love our sandwiches, but who sadly live outside our delivery zones," he said. "Tania stood out to us because of her passion for Jimmy John's and the fact that she wanted to move from Hawaii to Oklahoma to reunite with her favorite Beach Club sandwich…and her family too. There were so many incredible entries, but we're thrilled to help Tania buy a house inside a Jimmy John's delivery zone in Oklahoma City."

An Oklahoma native, Tania fell in love with Jimmy John's while a student at the University of Oklahoma and had always lived near a store until she moved to Hawaii with her husband eight years ago. As part of her winning entry, Tania spoke about how difficult it is to not have a Jimmy John's on Honolulu, writing "…because I don't have a Jimmy John's ANYWHERE near me, I'm dying. I'd move to the mainland if you can't build a Jimmy John's in Hawaii. Yup. I'd move for your sandwiches. It's not even a question…Jimmy John's is my hands down favorite. I crave it. I dream about it. If I ever go to prison (why?!?) I'd want your Beach Club with sprouts as my last meal. I don't know what else to say...I'd be the most appreciative, overjoyed person if I won.”

After overcoming the initial shock of finding out she was the winner, Tania has already started looking online for homes in the Oklahoma City area.

"I already have eight houses picked out within five minutes of a Jimmy John's," she said. "Being this far away, I never get to have Jimmy John's. And sandwiches are my favorite food, so I'm excited to be near a Jimmy John's again!"