Brick Trio Crowned Jersey Mike's Sub Champions

(Kevin Brennan, Tom Sisbarro and Joe DeAngelo, the three-person team from Brick, with Jersey Mike’s Founder and CEO Peter Cancro at the Jersey Mike’s Subs National G13 Competition in Orlando, Fla. The crew from the Mantoloking Road store beat four other finalists teams to take the sub-making championship. Photos courtesy of Jersey Mike's)

BRICK, NJ -- "It almost felt like a sporting event," Kevin Brennan saysid.

Confetti cannons. Bright lights. A champions' entrance and, of course a cheering crowd.

And under those bright lights and before that cheering crowd, Brennan, Joe DeAngelo and Tom Sisbarro showed all comers why it's called Jersey Mike's, building an Italian sub "Mike's Way" in under a minute to bring the title of sub-making champions home to the Garden State.

The G13 Competition, so named for the sub that had to be built (a giant No. 13), was held in Orlando, Fla., during the company's annual conference. It featured teams from all over the country showing their sub-making prowess before more than 1,000 people -- franchise owners, managers and others -- who were marking the company's 60th anniversary.

The sub-making championships were the highlight of the four-day conference, Brennan said.

"They held it in a ballroom," he said. A front counter like the ones you would find in most Jersey Mike's was set up, complete with a deli slicer, fixings and condiments.

The five teams jogged into the room to the sounds of ACDC's "Thunderstruck," slapping hands with the audience as they went by.

Then each of the teams went to work, building giant No. 13 as quickly and accurately as possible.

"They had cameras set up taking different camera angles, giant projector screens so people could watch," Brennan, who is the general manager at the Mantoloking Road store. "When someone would mess up you'd hear, 'Ooooo,' and you'd hear the crowd react if you did really well."

"No matter how many public speaking courses you take in high school or college, it doesn't prepare you for that (performing in front of an audience)," Brennan said.

Watch it here:

Brennan, Sisbarro, the store's assistant manager, and DeAngelo, who is a shift manager, were the fourth out of the five finalists teams to go and built the sub and wrapped it in 57 seconds, Brennan said.

"The video says it took a minute but they started the timer early," he said.

Building a No. 13 Mike's Way means slicing a whole roll, slicing and stacking five meats and cheese -- provolone, ham, prosciuttini, cappacuolo, salami and pepperoni -- and then adding onion, lettuce, tomatoes, oil, vinegar and spices, Brennan said. They then had to cut it, wrap it and bag it properly.

Teams were judged not only on speed but on accuracy. If the sub didn't weigh enough, or didn't have enough tomatoes, a team would have penalty seconds added to their time. If the wrapping was sloppy or the sub looked sloppy, the team would get penalty seconds.

"Jersey Mike's has a standard for what a perfect sub looks like," Brennan said. There's a slicing guide that tells sub-makers how many slices of each meat are necessary depending on the size of the sub, and what it should weigh.

"The system is implemented so there's consistency in what you get no matter which Jersey Mike's you go to," he said.

The trio, whose tickets to attend the conference were paid for by store owners John Helm and Matt Catania, who own 10 Jersey Mike's in the area, returned from the competition with more than bragging rights. The team won the grand prize, which included $30,000, $10,000 apiece.

"We treated the crew to dinner when we came back and we ordered a banner" proclaiming the championship for the store, said Brennan, who started working at Jersey Mike's five years ago as a 17-year-old. Sisbarro has been with the shop for four years after starting at age 18, and DeAngelo, who started at the age of 14, has been with the shop for five years.

The team also received a trophy, which is on display at the store, he said.

"It felt great bringing the championship back to the hometown," Brennan said.

“If we take a moment to reflect back, I am proud of adding to an existing legacy … serving Mike’s/Jersey Mike’s for 45 years,” said Peter Cancro, founder and CEO, who bought the original Mike’s Subs at age 17. The company still uses the same recipe it started with in 1956. “Very few restaurant companies are able to cross the 1,000-store mark and we are here because of our tremendous franchise owners, operators and other team members.”

Jersey Mike’s has more than 1,500 locations open and under development nationwide, and gives to its local communities; Midstreams Elementary School recently received a check for more than $13,000 from the store on Route 88 during the company's Month of Giving, and Cancro was on hand Tuesday in Toms River for the opening of the B.E.A.T. Center, to which Jersey Mike's has contributed.