Jack in the Box is closing restaurants in the United States! Check where

Jack in the Box, which has a presence in 22 states, plans to close around 200 of its restaurants very soon

Abr 25, 2025 - 06:35

Jack in the Box is closing restaurants in the United States! Check where

Jack in the Box has announced it will be closing around 200 of its restaurants across the United States. But that’s not all—the company may also sell the Del Taco brand, which it acquired in March 2022. Here’s a look at which locations will be affected and why the company made this decision.

Which Jack in the Box Locations Will Close?

So far, the fast-food chain has not specified which individual locations will shut down. However, it’s expected that closures will span many of the states where the company currently operates, including:

Arizona
California
Colorado
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana

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Missouri
Nevada
New Mexico
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Washington

Why Is Closing Its Restaurants?

According to the company, the closures are part of a long-term plan to improve financial performance across all restaurants. The goal is to achieve consistent net unit growth and maintain a competitive unit-level economic model.

When Will the Jack in the Box Closures Begin?

The chain stated that between 80 and 120 locations will close by the end of this year. The remaining underperforming restaurants will close later, once their franchise agreements expire.

Jack in the Box May Sell Del Taco

In addition to this year’s planned closures, the company is also considering selling the Del Taco brand, which it purchased for approximately $585 million three years ago. The reason, according to the company, is that Del Taco shares similar customer profiles, menus, and company cultures. Currently, Del Taco operates in 17 U.S. states with around 600 locations, including six newly opened stores.

History of Jack in the Box

The chain was founded on February 21, 1951, in San Diego, California, by Robert O. Peterson. The company originated from a drive-in restaurant called Topsy’s Drive-In, which eventually became the first location in the chain. The name, inspired by the classic “jack-in-the-box” toy, reflected the restaurant’s innovative character, and its iconic clown mascot has been a recognizable symbol from the beginning.

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Although drive-thru service wasn’t new, the company revolutionized the model by introducing a two-way intercom system, a pioneering technology at the time. This allowed the staff to take orders from multiple customers at once while continuing to serve others at the window—greatly improving speed and efficiency.

In 1960, Peterson established Foodmaker, Inc. as the parent company of the brand. Eight years later, in 1968, he sold the company to Ralston Purina Company. During the 1970s, Foodmaker launched an aggressive expansion strategy, including the introduction of franchising to grow its number of locations.

Over time, the chain began to adopt a style similar to larger competitors. However, by the late ’70s, expansion into the East Coast faced challenges and was eventually suspended, although overall sales recovered by the end of the decade.

On December 6, 2021, the company announced it would acquire Del Taco for $12.51 per share. At the time, Del Taco operated around 600 locations across 16 U.S. states. The acquisition was finalized in March 2022, marking a significant step in the company’s growth strategy.