Paying in cash might be officially a thing of the past. Recently, one New Jersey man found that out the hard way. His money couldn’t make it from his pocket to the cash register.
Steve (@magicmansteve1) stepped out for a sandwich from Jersey Mike’s. Instead, he got a lesson in modern commerce. In his TikTok, which has been viewed over 50,000 times, he films himself walking away from the Jersey Mike’s counter.
“No cash,” he says flatly to the camera.
“Jersey Mike’s, no cash,” he says in an almost disbelieving tone.
Then with a double-eyebrow lift, like his face is shrugging, he says, “Their prerogative.”
Why Don’t Some Establishments Accept Cash?
Steve captions the video with a question: “Jersey Mike’s if they don’t trust their employees should we?” That might be misleading, since counting dollars is different from slicing meats. And, in the wake of the pandemic, many businesses have switched to a cashless experience.
Additionally, Loomis (yes, the armored transport company) notes that with many states raising the minimum wage, “operators cannot afford to keep employees on the clock for the time it takes to drive to the bank for deposits and withdrawals.” Time is literally money.
Still, going cashless isn’t risk-free. That same article argues that companies that don’t accept cash do so at peril to their own bottom line. Citing nearly 6 million unbanked individuals in America who rely upon cash for transactions, and a recent uptick in cash usage by younger generations. “Nearly 70% of the Gen Z age group reported using cash more frequently in 2022,” Loomis reported.
Thus, while there’s no federal legal imperative for a business to accept cash, there might be an argument made for the profitable one.
The Future Is Here?
No one in the comments section really takes the side of the sub shop. But several people make the point that Jersey Mike’s isn’t necessarily impugning the trustworthiness of their employees.
“I probably haven’t touched paper money in almost 10 years welcome to the future old timer,” quipped one viewer.
While Mike (@mike16gym) puts it even more bluntly, writing, “It’s not that they don’t trust employees it’s 2026.”
Nonetheless, the top comment, with 131 likes, is the one that agrees with Steve. It says, “Anyplace that says NO CASH! Means No BUSINESS FROM ME.”
Insult To Injury
So was the sammie at least good?
According to Steve, it was a “chewy” sandwich, and he’s had better. And this is where the comments section absolutely agrees with him.
“You couldn’t give me Jersey Mike’s for free,” one said.
Another user wrote, “Since it was bought by equity firm, the sandwiches suck. visit ur local mom and pop shop.”
It’s true. Yahoo Finance reports that the asset management company Blackstone entered into an $8 billion deal to acquire a majority share of the sub shop. The deal was completed in January 2025. And allegations that the sandwiches have shrunk arrived about 12 months later.
Nothing was confirmed. However, the article speculated that since private equity prioritizes “lower costs, higher efficiency and quick expansion,” smaller portions might not be imagined.
Of course, private equity buying sandwich shops kind of begs the question: Is there that much money in lunch? According to Yahoo Finance, yes, “Jersey Mike’s is now the fourth-largest sandwich chain in the country.” Considering the U.S. sandwich sector was a $41.5 billion market in 2024, that’s a lot of bread.
Further, CNBC reports that there’s a major ramp-up in the works. The target is to go from 3,000 stores to 6,000. For growth like that, the article notes, “efficiency is the name of the game.”
BroBible reached out to Magicmansteve via email and TikTok direct message. We reached out to Jersey Mike’s via their contact form. We will update this article if either responds.