A robbery at Jimmy JohnâÄôs Gourmet Sandwiches on Sunday night left four employees and a customer shaken but unharmed.

Around 9:55 p.m. a suspect entered the shop in Dinkytown, drew a gun and demanded money from the safe kept in the back room of the store, according to Minneapolis police.

âÄúI was the one to greet him with a smile,âÄù said Derek Loftis, who delivers sandwiches for the shop.

âÄúHe didnâÄôt even bother with the registers,âÄù said Nicholas Anton.

Anton, who was doing dishes at the time, said the suspect gathered the four employees and a customer in the back room and told the manager to open the safe. He then had them get on the floor and empty their pockets.

âÄúI didnâÄôt believe it at first,âÄù said Jennifer Arbelius, a Jimmy JohnâÄôs employee and University of Minnesota senior. âÄúI just thought it was a really surreal situation. It felt like I was in a movie.âÄù

The suspect took money from the safe and from the victims before fleeing. Police would not disclose the amount taken because of an ongoing investigation.

Besides the money, the suspect also took LoftisâÄô backpack, which the employee used for deliveries.

Loftis and Anton said they stayed calm throughout the incident, although both said they thought about retaliating.

âÄúI kept having like weird hero moments running through my head, but I told myself not to act on it because no amount of money is really worth your life,âÄù Loftis said.

Anton said the suspect wasnâÄôt violent and seemed to know that the employees wouldnâÄôt retaliate.

âÄúIâÄôve been robbed under much scarier circumstances,âÄù Anton said. âÄúItâÄôs just a really uncomfortable feeling when somebody is threatening your life over some money. I donâÄôt care about the Jimmy JohnâÄôs money, but itâÄôs just so rude, you know.âÄù

Arbelius said the suspect told them to stay in the back as he fled the store. The employees gave him a few minutes to leave and then called the police.

âÄúThey got there so fast,âÄù Arbelius said. âÄúI felt like I looked down and looked back up and there were four cops.âÄù

Minneapolis police responded to the robbery, and Sgt. Steve McCarty said investigators will check the store video surveillance, as well as surveillance in the area, for anything that could help identify the suspect and possibly connect him to robberies across the city.

âÄúWe donâÄôt know for sure if it is connected, but there have been similar robberies with similar suspects,âÄù McCarty said.

He urged anyone with information to call police.

Arbelius said she was anxious about returning to work on Monday night.

âÄúI was a little suspicious of everyone, because I donâÄôt really know what [the suspect] looks like,âÄù she said.

Anton said he isnâÄôt nervous about returning to work and that he was mostly annoyed by the situation.

âÄúI was just frustrated that I had to work later because of it,âÄù he said.