Founder Of Jimmy John's Pays Visit To Gordy's Hi-Hat In Cloquet

One popular Northern Minnesota eatery's reputation is so widespread it even drew the founder of a national fast-food chain in for a visit.

Jimmy John Liautaud, the founder of (you guessed it) Jimmy John's, flew in by helicopter this week to pay a visit to the popular seasonal eatery Gordy's HI-Hat in Cloquet, Minnesota.

Gordy's Hi-Hat, which operates seasonally from spring through fall, shared a reel on their social media of a red and black helicopter flying in and landing in the restaurant's parking lot on Wednesday morning (September 5).

The caption for the video explains the scene, saying "Our friend Jimmy John (founder of Jimmy John's sandwich chain) and a few of his staff flew in for some burgers, fish, onion rings, and malts".

The post continues, sharing "The chopper was flown by former U.S. Special Operations 160th 'Night Stalkers'. How cool is that!?!?"

How did Jimmy John hear about Gordy's Hi-Hat?

Nick Cooper - TSM Dulut

The Pine Journal reports that Mr. Liautaud got the idea to visit Gordy's Hi-Hat from a personal recommendation by Guy Fieri. Fieri has been to Gordy's on a few different occasions, highlighting the eatery on his famous Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives".

Gordy's manager Sever Lundquist told the Pine Journal that the Jimmy John's founder loved what they were doing as a family business. Along with the business as a whole, he was also enamored with the staff at Gordy's.

Apparently this wasn't the first time the two had met. Lundquist said he first met Liautaud when he stopped in for a meal earlier this summer. After exchanging contact information, Liautaud decided to come back with his helicopter and bring a few friends for the visit.

Their visit comes toward the end of the 2024 season for Gordy's Hi-Hat, which opened in March this year. They traditionally close sometime in mid to late September, which means the number of days left to enjoy their classic menu and dining experience are numbered before they close down for the winter.