Artwork from a stock certificate.
Jack in the Box Inc., formerly known as Foodmaker Inc., is the parent company of Jack in the Box. It was founded and headquartered in San Diego, California.[1][2]
History[]
A 1967 Foodmaker Inc. brochure.
Jack in the Box's original parent company was the San Diego Commissary Co., which prepared the chain's food products and operated a number of other restaurant chains, including Oscar's. The company was renamed Foodmaker Co. in 1960.[3] The company's restaurant division was spun off into a new company, Jack-in-the-Box Inc., in 1965. The following year, Foodmaker Co. spun out another company, Foodmaker Inc., which soon acquired the commissary and specialty restaurant business of its predecessor. Foodmaker Inc. was then acquired in 1967 by Jack-in-the-Box Inc., which adopted the Foodmaker name as its own.[4]
A Jack in the Box matchbook featuring the Ralston Purina logo.
The company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ralston Purina in 1968.[5]
In 1985, Ralston Purina deemed Foodmaker a "non-core" asset, and sold the company to an investment group led by Foodmaker CEO Jack W. Goodall.[6] The company went public in 1987, converted to a privately-owned company in 1988, and again went public in 1992.[3] In 1988, Foodmaker acquired Chi-Chi's, a major Mexican sit-down restaurant chain, for $235 million.[7]
In the early 1990s, Foodmaker was hit by an economic recession and suffered a major decline in earnings.[4] Despite this, the company announced an ambitious plan to expand Jack in the Box internationally in 13 countries over the next decade.[8] Those plans were curtailed after a major E. coli outbreak occurred at its restaurants. In the wake of the outbreak, Chi-Chi's was sold to Family Restaurants Inc., which operated competing Mexican chain El Torito, in early 1994, with Foodmaker gaining a 39% stake in the company.[4]
Foodmaker, Inc. divested itself of all restaurant holdings aside from Jack in the Box and closed its food-manufacturing facilities.[3] The company changed its name to Jack in the Box Inc. in October 1999, and its New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol converted from FM to JBX.[1]
Throughout the 2000s, the company explored other venues including Quick Stuff, a convenience store chain, and JBX Grill, a fast casual restaurant chain.[9][10] In early 2003, Jack in the Box Inc. acquired the Mexican fast casual chain Qdoba for $45 million.[11][12] In late 2008, the company changed its ticker symbol to JACK.[13]
In 2017, Qdoba was sold to a consortium of funds led by Apollo Global Management for approximately $305 million.[14] The sale was completed in March 2018.[15]
In 2022, Jack in the Box Inc. acquired the Mexican fast food chain Del Taco for about $585 million.[16] [17] However, just three years later, the company announced it would sell the chain to franchisee Yadav Enterprises Inc. for $115 million, citing "implementation challenges" and a desire to return to a "simpler, asset-light business model."[18][19] The transaction closed in December 2025.[20]
Corporate governance[]
Executive management[]
| Name | Current Position | Officer Since[21] |
|---|---|---|
| Lance Tucker | Chief Executive Officer | 2025 |
| Dawn Hooper | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | 2025 |
| Ryan Ostrom | Executive Vice President, Chief Customer and Digital Officer | 2021 |
| Sarah Super | Executive Vice President, Chief Legal & Administrative Officer | 2025 |
| Carl Mount | Senior Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer | 2024 |
| Doug Cook | Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer | 2021 |
| Shannon McKinney | Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer | 2025 |
| Steve Piano | Senior Vice President, Chief People Officer | 2021 |
| Van Ingram | Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer | 2025 |
Board of Directors[]
- David L. Goebel - Chairman of the Board
- Lance Tucker
- Alan Smolinisky
- Enrique Ramirez Mena
- Guillermo Diaz, Jr.
- James M. Myers
- Madeleine Kleiner
- Mark Kin
- Michael W. Murphy
- Vivien M. Yeung[22]
Former executives[]
- Leonard A. Comma (CEO, 2014-2020)
- Jack W. Goodall (CEO, 1979-1996)[23]
- Darin Harris (CEO, 2020-2025)
- Linda A. Lang (CEO, 2005-2014)
- Robert J. Nugent (CEO, 1996-2005)[24]
- Robert O. Peterson (founder and CEO, 1965-1970)
- Dietrich F. Rosenberg (CEO, 1970-1979)
Current and former holdings[]
This is a list of holdings that were at one time owned or partially owned by the company.
- Jack in the Box[25]
- Barclay Jack's[26]
- Boar's Head[26]
- The Boathouse[26]
- Carlos Murphy's[27]
- Chi-Chi's[4]
- Continental Restaurant Systems
- Del Taco
- Different Rules, LLC
- The Dry Dock[28]
- Epic Merger Sub Inc.[29]
- Family Restaurants, Inc. (39% stake)[4]
- Family Tree[25]
- Foodmaker International[30]
- Hamburger House[4]
- The Hungry Hunter[27]
- JBX Grill
- The Jolly Ox[4]
- Judge Tibbs' Chicken and Ribs[31]
- J.W. Wheeler[28]
- Littlefield's[32]
- London Opera House[26]
- Monterey Jack's (a sit-down restaurant, the name was later used for an unsuccessful rebranding of Jack in the Box)[33]
- Monterey Whaling Co.[27]
- Mountain Jack's[26]
- Oscar's[25]
- Qdoba
- Quick Stuff
- Stag & Hound[28]
- Taco Jack[34]
- Tortilla Flats[28]
- Wally's[27]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bloomberg News. "Foodmaker Name Change." New York Times. July 20, 1999.
- ↑ Corporate Overview. Jack in the Box.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 About Us. National Jack in the Box Franchisee Association.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Covell, Jeffrey L. Foodmaker, Inc. Encyclopedia.com.
- ↑ Our Company. Jack in the Box. Archived version.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Chi-Chi's becomes tougher sell. Marler Clark.
- ↑ UPI Archives. Foreign expansion set for Jack In The Box. UPI. September 23, 1992.
- ↑ Covell, Jeffrey L. and Salamie, David E. Jack in the Box Inc. Encyclopedia.com.
- ↑ Beitia, Sara. JBX Grill. Boise Weekly April 6, 2005.
- ↑ Robinson-Jacobs, Karen. "Jack in the Box Buys Qdoba Restaurant", January 22, 2003.
- ↑ "Qdoba restaurant chain sold to Jack in the Box", Louisville Business First, January 22, 2003.
- ↑ Staff-Author. Goodbye, JBX JACK to Appear on Nasdaq. San Diego Business Journal. November 30, 2008.
- ↑ Bomey, Nathan. "Jack in the Box sells struggling Qdoba for $305 million", December 19, 2017.
- ↑ "Jack in the Box Completes Sale of Qdoba to Apollo Global Management", March 21, 2018.
- ↑ Jack in the Box buys Del Taco in $575 million deal. CNBC (December 6, 2021).
- ↑ Jennings, Lisa. "It's official: Jack in the Box Inc. now owns Del Taco." Nation's Restaurant News. March 8, 2022.
- ↑ Maze, Jonathan. "Jack in the Box is closing restaurants and may sell Del Taco." 'Restaurant Business Magazine. April 23, 2025.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Jack in the Box Inc. Completes Sale of Del Taco Holdings Inc. Jack in the Box press release. December 22, 2025.
- ↑ Jack in the Box - Corporate Governance
- ↑ Board of Directors. Jack in the Box.
- ↑ RUBIO’S RESTAURANTS, INC. United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
- ↑ Bloomberg
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Rebele, R.K. "Did You Know Oscar's Began Business in the South Bay Area?" Chula Vista Star News. July 13, 1967.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 Williamson, Kathy. "New Restaurant Serves Themes, Not Just Food." Daily Press. April 13, 1980.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 Heuton, Cheryl. "Escondido is testing ground for Wally's." Daily Times-Advocate. April 9, 1984.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Continental Restaurant Systems advertisement. Star Tribune. February 4, 1979.
- ↑ Agreement and Plan of Merger among Jack in the Box Inc., Epic Merger Sub Inc., and Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. (December 5, 2021). Justia.
- ↑ Foreign expansion set for Jack In The Box. UPI. September 23, 1992.
- ↑ JUDGE TIBBS' CHICKEN AND RIBS Trademark . Justia Trademarks.
- ↑ Sylvester, Ed. "Fast Food Outlets Multiply in Redevelopment Area." Los Angeles Times. February 5, 1979.
- ↑ Stroud, Jerri. "Jack In The Box: The Name Is About To Vanish." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. May 16, 1985.
- ↑ TACO JACK Trademark. Justia Trademarks.