Jack in the Box’s Pipeline: 261 Restaurants

Jack in the Box Inc. (San Diego) announced that it signed 123 new restaurant commitments during its 2023 fiscal year for its flagship brand, along with 138 new restaurant commitments for its Del Taco unit. The QSR operator disclosed that news with its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2023 financial results.

Jack in the Box said its latest expansion wave will include entering four new states: Arkansas, Florida, Montana and Wyoming. The brand also signed a 22-unit commitment to enter Mexico. In all, Jack in the Box operates about 2200 units in 22 states.

That total includes the company’s recently opened first units in Salt Lake City and Louisville, Ky. Those restaurants feature the brand’s Crave image, which includes a new restaurant image package with bold colors and signage, as well as future locales.

“The response in new markets, for both brands, has continued to exceed our expectations,” said Chief Development Officer Tim Linderman. “We have developed a strong playbook for how to best open and sustain new market entry, and franchisees interested in partnering with our iconic brands have recognized the potential for whitespace growth and backfilling our current markets. We’ve been on an incredible roll since our development program started in 2021, and our 2023 results demonstrated that our momentum has continued.”

Meantime, the company’s Del Taco unit – which currently operates about 600 outlets – announced 138 new commitments in its 2023 fiscal year. New market entries include Texas, Montana and Wyoming, along with 52 additional commitments in Florida.

Del Taco’s expansion this year includes its first opening in Mississippi and its first drive-thru-only Fresh Flex restaurant design in Albuquerque, N.M.