When Jake Barnard joined his local Jimmy John’s as a delivery driver in Danville, Illinois at 19 years old, he never expected he’d be a restaurant owner less than a decade later. “I worked my way up here and there, becoming assistant manager and crew lead. Then a new franchisee bought the restaurant, promoted me to general manager, and the rest is history.”
Patrick Wampler – a Jimmy John’s franchisee who grew up with the brand in its hometown of Champaign, Illinois – bought his first restaurant just two months after graduating from the University of Illinois. “Right out of college, I bought into a Jimmy John’s. Two years later, I bought the store where Jake worked, and what I didn’t realize at the time is that I was also getting Jake in the deal.”
As a franchisee who now owns five locations across Illinois, Patrick is on-site daily to oversee operations and provide support. But after nearly 10 years as a Jimmy John’s franchisee, he recently saw an opportunity to try something new. “One of our leases was ending, and I realized this was our chance to move out and build a brand new Jimmy John’s from the ground up. We bought some land, but it was too big for one restaurant, so we quickly started exploring other brands through Inspire.”
Patrick knew he wanted to stay within the Inspire portfolio after his success with Jimmy John’s. “Illinois has several Jimmy John’s, so we needed a new brand that had the potential for long-term growth. Another Inspire brand meant I’d be working with the same people, receiving the same level of franchisee support I’ve come to expect.”
As he researched other brands, Patrick kept coming back to SONIC. “Suddenly we had this big lot in a busy intersection, and SONIC’s versatility with options for guests to drive-in, park and enjoy patio seating, or just drive-thru made it a really appealing model to fill that space.”
Compared to his existing Jimmy John’s, SONIC would also satisfy those late-night guests craving a completely different menu. “The more I looked into SONIC, the more I realized it was a natural fit. It would be new to Danville, and new to us.”
Patrick needed someone he could trust to lead operations for a new brand. “That’s when I approached Jake. We’ve worked together for nearly ten years, and if I can rely on anyone, it’s him.”
For Jake, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. “After 10 years with Jimmy John’s, this was a clear next step for me to take everything I’d learned – my skills, my leadership, my connections with the community – and start a new chapter at SONIC. But Patrick wasn’t just offering a general manager position, he was offering co-ownership.”
In May 2025, after breaking ground the previous fall, Jake and Patrick opened the very first Danville SONIC – right next to their newly opened Jimmy John’s.
The restaurant features a drive-thru, carhop stalls, and an outdoor patio, serving SONIC’s full menu of customized drinks and craveable food. Danville’s SONIC and newest Jimmy John’s are expected to create more than 75 full and part-time jobs in the community.
“If you’d asked me at 19 years old if I’d be here today, I would’ve said no way – I’m just a delivery driver,” laughs Jake. “But the foodservice industry is really what you make of it. I didn’t know it at the time, but getting that delivery job really opened the world up for me.”
Inspire strives to be the franchisor of choice in the restaurant industry, and the success of franchisees who choose to grow within its portfolio of beloved brands is the strongest testament to that mission.
Anything is possible with Inspire: any brand, any format, any space. To learn more about franchising with Inspire and our brands, visit inspirebrands.com/Franchising.
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