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Jack in the Box

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Jack in the Box is an American fast-food restaurant chain founded February 21, 1951, by Robert O. Peterson in San Diego, California, where it is headquartered. The chain has over 2,200 locations, primarily serving the West Coast of the United States. Restaurants are also found in selected large urban areas outside the West Coast, as well as two in Guam.[1] The company also operates the Del Taco chain, which it acquired in March 2022.[2] [3]

Food items include a variety of chicken strips[4] and French fries[5] along with hamburger and cheeseburger sandwiches[6] and selections of internationally themed foods such as tacos[5] and egg rolls.

History[]

FirstJackintheBox

An early Jack in the Box, circa 1960.

Entrepreneur Robert O. Peterson opened a Topsy's Drive-In restaurant at 6270 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego, California in 1941. Several more Topsy's locations were soon opened, and the name was changed to Oscar's, after his father.[7][8] By the late 1940s, the chain had developed a circus-like décor and a starry-eyed clown mascot.

Drive-Thru1970

A diagram of a Jack in the Box drive-thru from a 1970 newspaper advertisement.

In 1951, Peterson converted the El Cajon Boulevard Oscar's location into Jack in the Box, a hamburger stand focused on drive-through service.[9] Peterson had obtained rights for an intercom ordering concept from George Manos, owner of the restaurant Chatterbox in Anchorage, Alaska, which was the first known location to use the intercom concept for drive-up windows. While the drive-through concept was not new, Jack in the Box innovated a two-way intercom system, the first major chain to use an intercom and the first to focus on drive-through.[10] The intercom allowed much faster service than a traditional drive-up window; while one customer was being served at the window, a second and even a third customer's order could be taken and prepared. Continuing the clown motif from Oscar's, a giant jack-in-the-box clown named Jack projected from the roof. A smaller clown head sat atop the drive-through intercom, and a sign instructed customers "Pull forward, Jack will speak to you," creating the illusion customers were ordering from the character. Jack in the Box was conceived as a "modern food machine," designed by La Jolla, California master architect Russell Forester.[11][12][13] Quick service made the new location very popular, and soon all Oscar's locations were redesigned with intercoms and rechristened Jack in the Box restaurants. By 1956 there were over 180 Jack in the Box locations, mainly in California and the Southwest.

Peterson's holding company, San Diego Commissary Co., was renamed Foodmaker Co. in 1960. The company was sold to Ralston Purina Company in 1968. Throughout the 1970s, Foodmaker led the Jack in the Box chain toward its most prolific growth and began to franchise locations.[14] The chain began to increasingly resemble its larger competitors, particularly industry giant McDonald's.

10527700844 86c3f91f3c o

A Jack in the Box location in the 1970s.

However, Jack in the Box began to struggle in the latter part of the decade; its expansion into East Coast markets was cut back, then halted. By the end of the decade, Jack in the Box restaurants were sold in increasing numbers. Realizing they couldn't "out-McDonald's McDonald's," Jack in the Box executives shifted the company's marketing strategy, announcing it would no longer compete for McDonald's target customer base of families with young children. Instead, the chain would differentiate itself by targeting older, more affluent "yuppie" customers with a higher-quality, more upscale menu. This pivot was dramatically symbolized by literally blowing up the chain's clown mascot in a memorable 1980 television commercial.[15][16] Jack in the Box restaurants were remodeled and redecorated with decorator pastel colors and hanging plants; the logo, containing a clown's head in a red box with the company name in red text to or below the box (signs in front of the restaurant displayed the clown's head only), was modified, stacking the words in a red diagonal box while still retaining the clown's head; by about 1981 or 1982, the clown's head was removed from the logo, which would remain until 2009. The menu, previously focused on hamburgers led by the flagship Jumbo Jack, became much more diverse, including salads, chicken sandwiches, finger foods, and seasoned curly fries, at a time when few fast-food operations offered more than standard hamburgers. Annual sales increased through the 1980s. Ralston Purina tried further to mature the restaurant's image, renaming over 60 locations to "Monterey Jack's" beginning in late 1984. However, the company changed course and announced in March 1986 that all Monterey Jack's locations would be reverted back to Jack in the Box, after the rebrand "failed to spark sales or attendance."[17]

100 9780

A Jack in the Box location in 2008.

After 18 years, Ralston Purina decided in 1985 that Foodmaker was a non-core asset and sold it to an investment group led by Foodmaker CEO Jack W. Goodall.[18] By 1987, sales reached $655 million, and the chain boasted 897 restaurants.

In 1993, a major food contamination crisis was linked to Jack in the Box restaurants and by 1994, a series of lawsuits and negative publicity took their tolls and pushed Foodmaker to the verge of bankruptcy. Seeking to rebrand, the company approved a new guerilla advertising campaign that brought back the chain's original mascot Jack, reimagined as Jack Box, a savvy, no-nonsense businessman.[19] This version of the character continues to be used as the chain's mascot.

Foodmaker Inc. changed its name to Jack in the Box Inc. in October 1999.[20]

Jack in the Box Inc. paid $45 million in cash to obtain the Wheat Ridge–based[21] Qdoba Mexican Grill from ACI Capital, Western Growth Capital, and other private investors in early 2003.[22][23][24] In January 2017, the company integrated Qdoba's headquarters into Jack in the Box's main headquarters in California.[25][26][27] Later that year, a consortium of funds led by Apollo Global Management announced the purchase of the Qdoba chain for approximately $305 million. At the time of the announcement, Qdoba had approximately 700 restaurants in 47 states.[28] The sale was completed in March 2018. Jack in the Box Inc. received $305 million in cash for more than 700 locations in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Canada.[29]

LouisvilleKY

A Jack in the Box location in 2023.

At their annual meeting in July 2018, the National Jack in the Box Franchisee Association, which represents the owners of about 2,000 of the chain's 2,240 restaurants, voted "no confidence" in the company's chief executive officer, Leonard "Lenny" Comma, and called for him to resign.[30] He was succeeded by Darin Harris in 2020.[31]

On December 6, 2021, Jack in the Box announced that it was acquiring Del Taco for $12.51 per share. Del Taco has approximately 600 locations in 16 U.S. states. The acquisition was finalized in March 2022.[2][3] Citing "implementation challenges" and a desire to return to a "simpler, asset-light business model," Jack in the Box announced it would sell the chain to Yadav Enterprises Inc. for $115 million on October 6, 2025. The transaction is expected to close in January 2026.[32][33]

Products[]

Tray

See also: List of menu items

Although best known for its hamburgers, Jack in the Box's most popular product is its taco, which it has sold since the first restaurant in the 1950s. As of 2017, the company sold 554 million a year manufactured in three factories in Texas and Kansas.[34] What makes the taco unusual is that it is created with the meat and hard taco shell in the Texas and Kansas facilities, then frozen for transport and storage. At the restaurant, it is then deep-fried, then prepared with lettuce, cheese, and mild taco sauce before serving.

Besides tacos, other Americanized foods from ethnic cuisines that Jack in the Box offers include egg rolls, breakfast burritos, and poppers. New items come in on a rotation every three to four months, including the Philly cheesesteak and the deli style pannidos (deli trio, ham & turkey, zesty turkey) which were replaced by Jack's ciabatta burger and included the original ciabatta burger and the bacon 'n' cheese ciabatta. Jack in the Box also carries seasonal items such as pumpkin pie shakes, Oreo mint shakes, and eggnog shakes during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. In some locations, local delicacies are a regular part of the menu. Locations in Hawaii, for example, include the Paniolo Breakfast (Portuguese sausage, eggs, and rice platter) and teriyaki chicken and rice bowl. In the Southern United States, the company offers biscuits and sweet tea. In Imperial County, California, some locations sell date shakes, reflecting the crop's ubiquity in the region's farms. In the spring of 2007, Jack in the Box also introduced its sirloin burger[35], which was followed up with the sirloin steak melt.[36]

The Bonus Jack was first released in the mid-1960s and has been reintroduced to Jack in the Box menus at times throughout the years, still containing "Jack's Secret Sauce".[37] In November 2009, the company discontinued its popular ciabatta sandwiches/burgers. In 2012, Jack in the Box introduced a bacon milkshake as part of its "Marry Bacon" campaign.[38]

The Sourdough Jack, which uses two slices of sourdough bread with a hamburger patty, has been around since 1997 (although it was first introduced in 1991 as the "Sourdough Grilled Burger").[39]

In September 2013, Jack's Munchie Meal was introduced.[40] The 4 original Munchie Meals were Spicy Nacho Chicken Sandwich, Sriracha Curly Fry Burger, Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger, and Chick-n-Tater Melt. Each meal also contains two tacos, halfsie fries (curly fries and french fries), and a 20 oz. drink.[41] In 2023, the items were replaced with a new Build Your Own Munchie Meal which now include an Ultimate Cheeseburger, Jack's Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Cluck Sandwich, and a Double Jack.[42]

In January 2023, Jack in the Box started selling Red Bull Infusions drinks at its locations.[43]

Advertising[]

See: Advertising

Controversies[]

Mislabeled meat[]

In 1981, horse meat labeled as beef was discovered at a Foodmaker plant that supplied hamburger and taco meat to Jack in the Box. The meat was originally from Profreeze of Australia, and during their checks on location, the food inspectors discovered other shipments destined for the United States which included kangaroo meat.[44][45]

E. coli outbreak[]

Main article: 1992-1993 E. coli outbreak

In 1993, Jack in the Box suffered a major corporate crisis involving E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. Four children died of HUS. Another six hundred were reported sick after eating undercooked patties contaminated with fecal material containing the bacteria at a location in Tacoma, Washington and other parts of the Pacific Northwest. [46] The chain was faced with several lawsuits, each of which was quickly settled, but left the chain nearly bankrupt and losing customers. At the time, Washington state law required that hamburgers be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 155 °F (68 °C), the temperature necessary to kill E. coli bacteria, although the FDA requirement at that time was only 140 °F (60 °C), which was the temperature Jack in the Box cooked. After the incident, Jack in the Box mandated that in all nationwide locations, their hamburgers be cooked to at least 155 °F (68 °C).[47][48][49]

Locations[]

GuamMural

A mural inside Jack in the Box's Guam location.

In 2005, Jack in the Box announced plans for nationwide expansion by 2010, entering new markets as well as returning to markets where it had a presence in past years. In support of this objective, the chain began airing ads in states several hundred miles from the nearest location. The expansion strategy at that time was targeted at Colorado, Delaware, Florida and Texas. In 2007, the first new Colorado store opened in Golden, Colorado, marking an end to Jack in the Box's 11-year-long absence from the state.[50] In Albuquerque, New Mexico, several locations opened in June 2009.[51] Jack in the Box restaurants last made an appearance in the Albuquerque market about two decades prior.[52]

In September 2010, it was announced that 40 under-performing company-owned Jack in the Box restaurants located mostly in Texas and the Southeast would close.[53]

In March 2011, Jack in the Box launched the Munchie Mobile in San Diego, a food truck that serves burgers and fries.[54][55] In June 2012, Jack in the Box launched their second food truck in the southeast region of the United States. Another truck was launched for the Northern Texas area in April 2013.[56]

In January 2012, Jack in the Box opened its first of three locations in the Indianapolis area.[57][58] A few months later, the first Ohio location opened in September 2012 in West Chester.[59][60]

In May 2023, Jack in the Box showed interest in re-entering the Mexican market after a failed first attempt where it briefly operated in the early 1990s.[61] This came to fruition in February 2024, with the opening of a location in Chihuahua City, Mexico. [62]

In July 2024, Jack in the Box announced plans to open several stores in the Chicago area in 2025. The chain previously expanded in Chicago during the late 1960's until the 1980's.[63]

United States[]

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Guam
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Louisiana
  • Missouri
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Washington

Mexico[]

  • Chihuahua

Corporate governance[]

Executive management[]

Name Current Position Officer Since[64]
Lance Tucker Chief Executive Officer 2025
Dawn Hooper Interim Principal Financial Officer 2022
Ryan Ostrom Executive Vice President, Chief Customer and Digital Officer 2021
Sarah Super Executive Vice President, Chief Legal & Administrative Officer 2025
Steven Piano Senior Vice President, Chief People Officer 2021
Carl Mount Senior Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer 2024
Tim Linderman Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer 2020
Doug Cook Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer 2021
Tom Rose Brand Officer (Del Taco) 2023
Sarah McAloon Senior Vice President, Chief Administration Officer (Del Taco) 2023

Board of Directors[]

  • David L. Goebel - Chairman of the Board
  • Guillermo Diaz, Jr.
  • Madeleine Kleiner
  • Enrique Ramirez Mena
  • Michael W. Murphy
  • James M. Myers
  • Vivien M. Yeung

Former executives[]

In popular culture[]

Simpsons-Jack in the Bag

Jack in the Bag, a parody of Jack Box featured in The Simpsons.

  • A Jack in the Box restaurant was featured in a 1975 episode of The Rockford Files.
  • A 1979 episode of The Mike Douglas Show featured Cher working undercover at a Jack in the Box.
  • A Jack head from a Jack in the Box drive-thru menu was one of the items sought in the 1979 film Scavenger Hunt.
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic referenced the Jumbo Jack in a song on his debut album, released in 1983.
  • The Simpsons has referenced Jack in the Box multiple times.
  • A neon Jack in the Box sign can be seen in the background of a scene in the 1990 film Total Recall.
  • Jack in the Box was mentioned in a 1999 episode of Futurama.
  • A 2003 episode of King of the Hill featured a parody of Jack in the Box with a white clown head.
  • Jack Box appeared naked and tied up in the pilot episode of American Dad.
  • A bear is shown destroying a drive thru speakerbox featuring a white clown head in a 2007 episode of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
  • Jack in the Box was parodied in a 2009 episode of The Fairly OddParents!
  • The T.U.F.F. Puppy episode "Quack in the Box" centers around a Jack in the Box parody.
  • In a 2024 episode of Clone High, a character states that one of her biggest fears is jack-in-the-boxes, both the toy and the restaurant.
  • A character in Hacks proudly calls herself "a Jack in the Box girl."

Gallery[]

External links[]

Social media[]

Wiki links[]

References[]

This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).
  1. ↑ Online Ordering. Jack in the Box. Accessed October 23, 2024.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jack in the Box buys Del Taco in $575 million deal. CNBC (December 6, 2021).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jennings, Lisa. "It's official: Jack in the Box Inc. now owns Del Taco." Nation's Restaurant News. March 8, 2022.
  4. ↑ Food – Chicken & Salads. Jack in the Box.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tacos, Fries & Sides. Jack in the Box.
  6. ↑ Food – Burgers. Jack in the Box.
  7. ↑ Gonzalez, Sef. "Jack in the Box Burger Restaurant and History." The Burger Beast. January 7, 2009.
  8. ↑ Find a Grave Memorial.
  9. ↑ History. Jack in the Box.
  10. ↑ Langdon, Philip. Orange Roofs, Golden Arches: The architecture of American chain restaurants. Page 104. Knopf. 1986. ISBN 978-0-394-54401-4
  11. ↑ Furlonger, Jaye E. The Robert O. Peterson - Russell Forester Residence. California Department of Parks and Recreation. July 2009.
  12. ↑ Russell Isley Forester. Modern San Diego.
  13. ↑ SPACE, STRUCTURE, LIGHT: THE ART OF RUSSELL FORESTER. Oceanside Museum of Art.
  14. ↑ Our Company. Jack in the Box. Archived version.
  15. ↑ Kraul, Chris. "Jack in the Box Gets Jump on Rivals by Going Its Own Way." Los Angeles Times. October 13, 1987.
  16. ↑ Taylor, Heather. "How To Blow Up the Jack in the Box Clown." Advertising Week. May 28, 2024.
  17. ↑ Stroud, Jerri. "Jack Back in Box." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 28, 1986.
  18. ↑ Ritter, Bill. "Ralston Purina Agrees to Sell Fast-Food Unit : Management Will Buy Jack in the Box’s Parent." Los Angeles Times. May 1, 1985.
  19. ↑ "Jack in the Box, Inc.", The Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns, (Gale Group, 2006), ISBN 978-0787673567, vol. 2, pp. 811ff, via HighBeam Research.
  20. ↑ Bloomberg News. "Foodmaker Name Change." New York Times. July 20, 1999.
  21. ↑ "Qdoba opening eight Ohio restaurants", Denver Business Journal, March 28, 2003. 
  22. ↑ ACI Capital - Portfolio. ACI Capital.
  23. ↑ Robinson-Jacobs, Karen. "Jack in the Box Buys Qdoba Restaurant", January 22, 2003. 
  24. ↑ "Qdoba restaurant chain sold to Jack in the Box", Louisville Business First, January 22, 2003. 
  25. ↑ DiPierro, Amy. "Qdoba chain is closing Lakewood headquarters, moving to San Diego", June 3, 2016. 
  26. ↑ Cleveland, Claire. "Qdoba pulls up longtime stakes, moves HQ to San Diego: Mexican food chain opens 80th Colorado restaurant in Lakewood as it prepares to leave home in Belmar", June 3, 2016. 
  27. ↑ Weisberg, Lori. "Qdoba fast casual brand moving to San Diego", July 18, 2016. 
  28. ↑ Bomey, Nathan. "Jack in the Box sells struggling Qdoba for $305 million", December 19, 2017. 
  29. ↑ "Jack in the Box Completes Sale of Qdoba to Apollo Global Management", March 21, 2018. 
  30. ↑ Chen, I-Chun. Jack in the Box franchisees call for CEO's resignation. The Business Journals. October 9, 2018.
  31. ↑ Freeman, Mike. Jack in the Box hires former Regus temp office and CiCi’s Pizza executive as new CEO. The San Diego Union-Tribune. April 16, 2020.
  32. ↑ Maze, Jonathan. "Jack in the Box is closing restaurants and may sell Del Taco." 'Restaurant Business Magazine. April 23, 2025.
  33. ↑ Jack in the Box Inc. Announces Definitive Agreement to Sell Del Taco Holdings Inc. to Yadav Enterprises Inc. Jack in the Box press release. October 16, 2025.
  34. ↑ Adams, Russell. Americans Eat 554 Million Jack in the Box Tacos a Year, and No One Knows Why. The Wall Street Journal. January 7, 2017. Alternate link via ProQuest.
  35. ↑ Jack in the Box Debuts Sirloin Burger. QSR Magazine. May 3, 2007.
  36. ↑ Jack in the Box adds steak sandwich. Nation's Restaurant News. December 17, 2007.
  37. ↑ Jack Brings Back Bonus Jack. MarketScreener. December 3, 2012.
  38. ↑ Bacon Milkshake: Jack In The Box Adds Absurd Indulgence To Menu. The Huffington Post. February 3, 2012.
  39. ↑ Jack in the Box Press Release 08 02 2002
  40. ↑ Jack in the Box® Introduces New Late Night Menu with Jack's Munchie Meal™ (September 26, 2013). Retrieved on January 15, 2022.
  41. ↑ Late Night (January 15, 2022).
  42. ↑ Q. Jack in the Box Replaces Late Night Munchie Meals with Build Your Own Munchie Meal. Brand Eating.
  43. ↑ Miller, Bob (January 12, 2023). Jack In The Box Pours New Red Bull Infusions. Retrieved on March 11, 2023.
  44. ↑ Australian Meat Will Be Inspected. New York Times. August 26, 1981.
  45. ↑ The Federal Report. Washington Post. August 14, 1981. Alternate link via ProQuest.
  46. ↑ Detwiler, Darin. "Do Meat and Poultry Handling Labels Really Convey Safety?" (archived version) Food Quality and Safety.
  47. ↑ Wilma, David (April 8, 2004). Food contamination by E. coli bacteria kills three children in Western Washington in January and February 1993. Historylink.org.
  48. ↑ Thirteen Years Since Jack in the Box. Marler Clark, LLP (July 28, 2006).
  49. ↑ Jack in the Box E. coli Outbreak. Marler Clark, LLP.
  50. ↑ Davis, Joyzelle. Jack in the Box pops up again. Rocky Mountain News. September 27, 2007.
  51. ↑ Jack in the Box Inc. Reports Third Quarter Earnings; Raises Fiscal 2007 Earnings Forecast; Plans 2-For-1 Stock Split. Jack in the Box Inc. August 8, 2007. Archived link.
  52. ↑ Jack in the Box popping up, again, in Albuquerque. Albuquerque Business First.August 8, 2007.
  53. ↑ Forbes, Paula. "Jack in the Box Closing 40 Stores." Eater. September 29, 2010.
  54. ↑ Mulcahy, James. Jack in the Box Launches Food Truck. Zagat. March 18, 2011. Archived link.
  55. ↑ Shatkin, Elina. Jack in the Box Launches Food Truck. LA Weekly. March 18, 2011.
  56. ↑ Robinson-Jacobs, Karen. New Jack in the Box food truck will be popping out free burgers at Rangers' home opener, other Dallas-area events. Dallas Morning News. April 3, 2013.
  57. ↑ Jack In The Box Opens To Crowd: Fast-Food Chain Opens Indiana Restaurant. WRTV. January 16, 2012.
  58. ↑ Indiana's first Jack in the Box to open Monday. Louisville Business First. January 13, 2012.
  59. ↑ Warren, Jay. Traffic snarls in front of New Jack in the Box. WCPO-TV. October 1, 2012.
  60. ↑ Jack in the Box comes to Ohio, but Columbus will have to wait. Columbus Business First. September 19, 2012.
  61. ↑ Garza, Luis Antonio. "Hamburguesas Jack in the Box regresan a México: ¿habrá sucursal en Monterrey?", ABC Noticias, May 19, 2023. 
  62. ↑ Chavez, Brenda. "Jack In The Box ya está en Chihuahua: ¿Qué es lo que venden", El Heraldo de Chihuahua, June 22, 2024. 
  63. ↑ Soglin, Talia. "Jack in the Box will return to Chicago area next year", Chicago Tribune, 2024-07-02. Retrieved on 2024-07-02. 
  64. ↑ Jack in the Box - Corporate Governance
  65. ↑ RUBIO’S RESTAURANTS, INC. United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
  66. ↑ Bloomberg
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