Jersey Mike's $8B Question: Can a Zero-Digital-Marketing Brand Learn to Pay for Ads?

Jersey Mike's CEO told MarketWatch the chain spent "almost zero dollars" on digital marketing while private. After its July 2026 IPO — an initial public offering of shares to outside investors — valued the chain near $8 billion, that approach is changing. Investors now weigh whether a brand that never paid for online ads can build that capability fast enough to justify the price.