The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

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After fruitlessly searching the Bay Area for a quality hoagie and cheese steak eatery, New Jersey native Byron Chalfont opened his own.

Jersey Joe's authentic hoagies draw East Coast transplants

By Pam Marino

What started out as a well-earned California vacation became a life-changing experience for New Jersey native Byron Chalfont. He fell so in love with the weather and sights that he immediately called home and said, "Sell the business, I'm moving to California."

His successful hoagie and cheese steak shop on the Jersey shore was sold, and Chalfont moved here to sell real estate. But he soon found that he missed the delicious sandwiches of his shop. He searched the Bay Area for the food he grew up with to no avail.

"I got so disgusted going into places that said they made cheese steaks and said they made hoagies," Chalfont said. He commiserated with other East Coast transplants who had also been disappointed with restaurants that didn't live up to their claims.

Chalfont finally decided that the only way he was going to get authentic hoagies and cheese steaks was to make them himself. His real estate career had fizzled in the midst of the recession, and he had taken a job at a restaurant working for someone else. He and his wife bought a small sandwich shop in Redwood City and started making the same sandwiches that had made his New Jersey store a success. Not sure of how it would work out, Chalfont held onto his job at the restaurant.

"It took off so fast the first week I quit my job," Chalfont said.

They named the shop Jersey Joe's, in hopes of attracting other East Coast transplants.

"I wanted a name when we opened up the first place to let people know that I'm from Jersey, and I'm the real thing," Chalfont said. He chose "Joe," a common name in New Jersey for his new moniker. " 'Jersey Byron's' didn't work," he quipped.

That was four years ago, and since that time Chalfont has opened a new store every year. His latest store recently opened on De Anza Boulevard, between Bollinger and Highway 85.

Chalfont is so zealous about the authenticity of his sandwiches he buys many ingredients from companies back East and special-orders his rib-eye steak for the Philly cheese steaks.

His sandwiches can be made to order, but he'll only go so far.

"And no alfalfa sprouts, so don't ask," his menu warns.

The strict adherence to authenticity has apparently worked: Loyal customers regularly visit his shops from as far away as Monterey. Chalfont estimates that about 80 percent of his customers are originally from the East Coast.

Hoagies cost anywhere from $3.50 for a six-inch sandwich to $6.95 for a foot-long, and $12.99 for a "super." Cheese steaks cost $4.79 to $5.49, $14.99 for the "super."

To celebrate the grand opening of his San Jose/Cupertino store, Chalfont is sponsoring a "Hoagie Run" for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. The event for bike riders and motorcycle riders on Saturday, Oct. 4, begins at Jersey Joe's Hayward store and follows a scenic route to the new store. For more information, call 510/538-2262, ext. 1.

Jersey Joe's is located at 1080 S. De Anza Blvd., #A, San Jose, 366-0563. The restaurant is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sundays.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, September 30, 1998.
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