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Jack in the Box

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108-823: Jack in the Box, Inc. is an American fast-food restaurant chain founded in 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 large urban areas outside the West Coast, as well as two in Guam. The company also formerly operated the Qdoba Mexican Grill chain until Apollo Global Management bought

216-412: A home run , customers can get the free jumbo jack with the large drink purchase. Fast-food restaurant A fast-food restaurant , also known as a quick-service restaurant ( QSR ) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast-food cuisine and has minimal table service . The food served in fast-food restaurants is typically part of a " meat-sweet diet ", offered from

324-474: A Double Jack. In October 2016, the "Brunchfast" items were introduced. Those are Bacon & Egg Chicken Sandwich, Blood Orange Fruit Cooler, Brunch Burger, Cranberry Orange Muffins, Homestyle Potatoes, and Southwest Scrambler Plate. In January 2018, the "Food Truck Series" sandwiches were introduced, including the Asian Fried Chicken, Pork Belly BLT, and Prime Rib Cheesesteak. In January 2023, Jack in

432-596: A big presence in Japan, but local gyudon chains such as Sukiya , Matsuya and Yoshinoya also blanket the country. Japan has its own burger chains including MOS Burger , Lotteria and Freshness Burger . Notable Taiwanese fast-food restaurants include 85C Bakery Cafe , TKK Fried Chicken , and Bafang Dumpling. The major fast-food chains in India that serve American fast food are KFC, McDonald's, Starbucks, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut, and Dominos. Most of these have had to make

540-421: 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. Television advertising from about 1985 onward featured minimalistic music by

648-400: A counter is available for purchasing French fries , beverages , krokets , frikandellen , kaassoufflés and hamburgers and other snacks can be bought from the automats . FEBO is one of the largest of such types of fast-food restaurants with automats. In addition to home-grown chains such as Supermac's , numerous American chains such as McDonald's and Burger King have also established

756-401: A fast clip. Despite the success of their operation, the partners discovered that the design of the insta-broiler made the unit's heating elements prone to degradation from the drippings of the beef patties. The pair eventually created a mechanized gas grill that avoided the problems by changing the way the meat patties were cooked in the unit. After the original company began to falter in 1959, it

864-639: A franchise of the predecessor to what is now the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King . McLamore had visited the original McDonald's hamburger stand belonging to the McDonald brothers; sensing potential in their innovative assembly line –based production system, he decided he wanted to open a similar operation of his own. The two partners eventually decided to invest their money in Jacksonville, Florida -based Insta-Burger King. Originally opened in 1953,

972-409: A gamble and dive into the unknown. Due to the importance of consistency, most companies set standards unifying their various restaurant locations with a set of common rules and regulations. Parent companies often rely on field representatives to ensure that the practices of franchised locations are consistent with the company's standards. However, the more locations a fast-food chain has, the harder it

1080-403: A higher-quality, more upscale menu and a series of whimsical television commercials featuring Dan Gilvezan , who attempted to compare the new menu items to that of McDonald's and other fast-food chains, to no avail; hence "There's No Comparison", their slogan at the time. Jack in the Box restaurants were remodeled and redecorated with decorator pastel colors and hanging plants; the logo, containing

1188-412: A highly successful marketing campaign that featured the fictitious Jack in the Box chairman Jack character (formerly voiced by the campaign's creator Rick Sittig ), the mascot who has a ping pong ball-like head , a yellow clown cap, two blue eyes, a pointy black nose, and a linear red smile that changes with his emotions, and is dressed in a business suit. Jack was reintroduced specifically to signal

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1296-531: A holding company for Jack in the Box in 1960. At this time, all Jack in the Box locations—over 180, mainly in California and the Southwest—were company-owned. Location sites, food preparation, quality control, and the hiring and training of on-site managers and staff in each location were subject to rigorous screening and strict performance standards. In 1968, Peterson sold Foodmaker to Ralston Purina Company. In

1404-517: A holiday or major event or themed toward a sports team local to the restaurant. The antenna balls have since been discontinued due to the demise of the mast-type car antenna. During the height of the now-defunct XFL , one of the continuing ad series involved a fictitious professional American football team owned by Jack. The team, called the Carnivores, played against teams such as the Tofu Eaters and

1512-408: A limited menu, cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot, finished and packaged to order, and usually available for take away , though seating may be provided. Fast-food restaurants are typically part of a restaurant chain or franchise operation that provides standardized ingredients and/or partially prepared foods and supplies to each restaurant through controlled supply channels. The term "fast food"

1620-691: A lot of changes to their standard menus to cater to Indian food habits and taste preferences. Some emerging Indian food chains include Wow! Momo , Haldiram's , Faaso's and Café Coffee Day . Food habits vary widely across states within India. While typical idli and dosa is fast food in Southern India, in Maharashtra it is misal-pav , pav-bhaji , and poha . Further north in Punjab and Haryana, chole-bhature are very popular and in Bihar and Jharkhand litti-chokha

1728-474: A midst of plummeting sales in Japan, McDonald's added a shrimp burger to the Japanese menu. The choice to introduce a shrimp burger was no coincidence, as a 1989 study stated that world consumption of shrimp was "led by Japan." In March 2010, Taco Bell opened their first restaurant in India. Because non-consumption of beef is a cultural norm in light of India's Dharmic beliefs, Taco Bell had to tailor its menu to

1836-451: A practice still found in chains such as Krispy Kreme . A clean atmosphere was only part of Kroc's grander plan which separated McDonald's from the rest of the competition and attributes to their great success. Kroc envisioned making his restaurants appeal to suburban families. At roughly the same time as Kroc was conceiving what eventually became McDonald's Corporation, two Miami, Florida businessmen, James McLamore and David Edgerton, opened

1944-826: A presence in Ireland. In 2015, a study developed by Treated.com was published in the Irish Times , which named Swords in County Dublin as Ireland's 'fast-food capital'. Bageterie Boulevard is a Czech fast food chain, headquartered in Prague, which began in 2003 with the opening of its first location in the Dejvice district. Today, the brand operates numerous restaurants in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. American chains such as Domino's Pizza , McDonald's , Pizza Hut , and KFC have

2052-572: A publicly traded company. 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. In December 2019, Comma said he would be stepping down. On December 6, 2021, Jack in

2160-586: 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

2268-569: A result, they could produce hamburgers and fries constantly, without waiting for customer orders, and could serve them immediately; hamburgers cost 15 cents, about half the price at a typical diner . Their streamlined production method, which they named the "Speedee Service System" was influenced by the production line innovations of Henry Ford . By 1954, The McDonald brothers' stand was restaurant equipment manufacturer Prince Castle's biggest purchaser of milkshake blending machines. Prince Castle salesman Ray Kroc traveled to California to discover why

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2376-426: A sense of reliability to their customers. This sense of reliability coupled with a positive customer experience brings customers to place trust in the company. This sense of trust leads to increased customer loyalty which gives the company a source of recurring business. When a person is presented with a choice of different restaurants to eat at, it is much easier for them to stick with what they know, rather than to take

2484-437: A short amount of time either in anticipation of upcoming orders (i.e., "to stock") or in response to actual orders (i.e., "to order"). Following standard operating procedures, pre-cooked products are monitored for freshness and disposed of if holding times become excessive. This process ensures a consistent level of product quality, and is key to delivering the order quickly to the customer and avoiding labor and equipment costs in

2592-442: A small chamber-like ensemble (specifically a distinctive seven-note plucked musical signature). 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 least two new menu items were introduced per year), at a time when few fast-food operations offered more than standard hamburgers. Annual sales increased through

2700-531: A table; the bag is printed with the words "Jack's Back" in bold red print, then another bag drops down with the Jack in the Box logo from that period. Later ads feature the first bag showing the text of the food item or offer the commercial is promoting (both bags have featured text since 1998). The commercials in the "Jack's Back" campaign (which has won several advertising industry awards) tend to be lightly humorous and often involve Jack making business decisions about

2808-419: Is Simplot , which used the specific blend of spices that became popular. Arby's is well known for curly fries, but they did not introduce them until 1988. However, Arby's may have been the first company to utilize Cajun-style seasoning on their "Curly-Q Fries". ConAgra Foods , the company which produces Arby's curly fries, uses powerful industrial machinery such as spiralisers to turn whole potatoes into

2916-567: Is a fish and chip shop , which specializes in fish and chips and also other foods such as kebabs and burgers. Fish and chip shops are usually owned independently. Burger brands like Wimpy remain, although the majority of branches became Burger King in 1989. In the Netherlands , walk-up fast-food restaurants with automatiek , a typical Dutch vending machine, are found throughout the country, most notably in Amsterdam . In this automatic format,

3024-413: Is for the parent company to guarantee that these standards are being followed. Moreover, it is much more expensive to discharge a franchisee for noncompliance with company standards, than it is to discharge an employee for that same reason. As a consequence, parent companies tend to deal with franchisee violations in a more relaxed manner. Many companies also adapt to their different local areas to support

3132-409: Is generally owned either by the parent company of the fast-food chain or a franchisee – an independent party given the right to use the company's trademark and trade name. In the latter case, a contract is made between the franchisee and the parent company, typically requiring the franchisee to pay an initial, fixed fee in addition to a continual percentage of monthly sales. Upon opening for business,

3240-653: Is highly processed and prepared on a large scale from bulk ingredients using standardized cooking and production methods and equipment. It is usually rapidly served in cartons, bags, or in a plastic wrapping, in a fashion which reduces operating costs by allowing rapid product identification and counting, promoting longer holding time, avoiding transfer of bacteria, and facilitating order fulfillment. In most fast-food operations, menu items are generally made from processed ingredients prepared at central supply facilities and then shipped to individual outlets where they are cooked (usually by grill, microwave, or deep-frying) or assembled in

3348-508: Is their staple fast food. Fast food In Pakistan varies. There are many international chains serving fast food, including Nandos , Burger King, KFC, McDonald's, Domino's Pizza , Fatburger , Dunkin' Donuts, Subway, Pizza Hut, Hardee's, Telepizza , Steak Escape and Gloria Jean's Coffees . In addition to the international chains, in local cuisine people in Pakistan like to have biryani , bun kebabs , Nihari , kebab rolls etc. as fast food. In

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3456-548: Is usually American fast-food chains expanding into Canada, Canadian chains such as Tim Hortons have expanded into 22 states in the United States, but are more prominent in border states such as New York and Michigan . Tim Hortons has started to expand to other countries outside of North America. The Pita Pit franchise originated in Canada and has expanded to the United States and other Countries. The Canadian Extreme Pita franchise sells low fat and salt pita sandwiches with stores in

3564-447: The Angus beef used by Carl's Jr. , Hardee's , Wendy's , and Burger King . That May, CKE Restaurants, Inc. , the parent company of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, filed a lawsuit against Jack in the Box, Inc. CKE claimed, among other things, that the commercials tried to give the impression that Carl's Jr./Hardee's Angus beef hamburgers contained cow anuses by having an actor swirl his finger in

3672-487: The Arby’s restaurant chain, their actual origins are more complex. The creation date of the curly fry has not been pinpointed, but its existence can be traced back to the 19th century. Oklahoma City 's Dolores Restaurant and Inn served curly fries as "Suzi-Q potatoes" in 1938. In the 1980s, Washington company TaterBoy had the debut of the industrial "Curley Fries". The first company to produce curly fries in mass quantities

3780-596: The Jewish Shabbat ; there is also a kosher McDonald's in Argentina . In Egypt , Indonesia , Morocco , Saudi Arabia , Malaysia , Pakistan , and Singapore , all menu items are halal . Many fast-food operations have more local and regional roots, such as White Castle in the Midwest United States, along with Hardee's (owned by CKE Restaurants , which also owns Carl's Jr. , whose locations are primarily on

3888-542: The Pacific Northwest . 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

3996-522: The Philly cheesesteak and the deli style pannidos (deli trio, ham and 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

4104-669: The San Francisco Bay Area ) have a deal where if the 49ers score two touchdowns, customers can purchase a large drink and get a free Jumbo Jack with it the day after the game, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a similar deal in the L.A. Metro and in the Inland Empire if they can strike 10 opposing batters out. The Arizona Diamondbacks have a similar deal to the Dodgers, but in metro Phoenix , where if any Diamondbacks player hits

4212-405: The " munchies ". This ad later stirred up controversy among a San Diego teen group who claimed that the ad was irresponsible showing a teenager who was under the influence of drugs. To protest, they presented the company with 2000 postcards protesting the ad, despite the fact that it had not aired since the beginning of the previous month. This commercial was redone in 2009 to feature the new logo and

4320-413: The 1970s, Foodmaker led the Jack in the Box chain toward its most prolific growth (television commercials in the early 1970s featured child actor Rodney Allen Rippy ) and began to franchise locations. The chain began to increasingly resemble its larger competitors, particularly industry giant McDonald's. Jack in the Box began to struggle in the latter part of the decade; its expansion into East Coast markets

4428-418: The 1980s. Ralston Purina tried further to mature the restaurant's image, renaming it "Monterey Jack's" in late 1985. The name change was poorly received, and the Jack in the Box name was restored in early 1986. After 18 years, Ralston Purina decided in 1985 that Food maker was a non-core asset and sold it to management. By 1987, sales reached $ 655 million, the chain boasted 897 restaurants, and Food maker became

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4536-597: The American company White Castle was the first fast-food outlet, starting in Wichita, Kansas in 1916 with food stands and founding in 1921, selling hamburgers for five cents apiece from its inception and spawning numerous competitors and emulators. What is certain, however, is that White Castle made the first significant effort to standardize the food production in, look of, and operation of fast-food hamburger restaurants. William Ingram's and Walter Anderson's White Castle System created

4644-468: The Box also introduced its sirloin burger and followed this up recently with the sirloin steak melt. Its more recent foray into the deli market was the less-popular Ultimate Club Sandwich which was initially removed in Arizona due to poor sales and has since been phased out at all locations. The Bonus Jack was first released in 1970 and has been reintroduced to Jack in the Box menus at times throughout

4752-648: 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. In November 2017 Jack in the Box became a sponsor of the Dallas Fuel and Team Envy, a team in the Overwatch League and a professional video game-playing team respectively. They are also the current sponsor for the San Francisco 49ers . Certain locations (mainly in

4860-574: 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. JBX Grill was a line of fast casual restaurants introduced in 2004 by Jack in the Box Inc. They featured high-quality, cafe-style food, avoiding most of the cheaper fast-food items typically served at Jack in the Box. The architecture and decor maintained an upbeat, positive atmosphere, and

4968-405: The Box launched an ad campaign called Bread is Back, taking a stab at the low carbohydrate diets of recent years. In 2006, Jack in the Box took the use of this perception creating a commercial featuring a typical stoner who is indecisive about ordering. When faced with a decision, the Jack in the Box figurine in his car tells him to "stick to the classics" and order 30 tacos implying that he has

5076-713: The Box opened its first of three locations in the Indianapolis area. A few months later, the first Ohio location opened in September 2012 in West Chester. 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. In February 2024, Jack in the Box returned to Mexico , opening a location in Chihuahua City , Mexico . In July 2024, Jack in

5184-672: The Box restaurants located mostly in Texas and the Southeast would close. In March 2011, Jack in the Box launched the Munchie Mobile in San Diego, a food truck that will serve Jack's burgers and fries. 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. In January 2012, Jack in

5292-451: The Box started selling Red Bull Infusions drinks at its locations. In February 2023, Jack in the Box partnered with Mint Mobile and Ryan Reynolds . A minty version of the classic Oreo Shake was created and titled the "Mint Mobile Shake" to promote the mobile virtual network operator. A 15-second promotion video was featured on February 27, 2023, with Ryan Reynolds as the spokesperson. The restaurant rebounded in popularity in 1994 after

5400-472: The Box, a hamburger stand focused on drive-through service. 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. 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. A giant clown projected from

5508-806: The Burger King market found that this name was already a registered trademark to a takeaway food shop in Adelaide . Thus, the Burger King Australian market was forced to pick another name, selecting the Hungry Jack's brand name. Prior to this, the Australian fast-food market consisted primarily of privately owned take-away shops. In New Zealand , the fast-food market began in the 1970s with KFC (opened 1971), Pizza Hut (1974), and McDonald's (1976), and all three remain popular today. Burger King and Domino's entered

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5616-505: The McDonald's Corporation's size to force suppliers to conform to this ethos. Other prominent international fast-food companies include Burger King, the number two hamburger chain in the world, known for promoting its customized menu offerings ( Have it Your Way ). Another international fast-food chain is KFC, which sells chicken-related products and is the number 1 fast-food company in the People's Republic of China. A fast-food chain restaurant

5724-774: The Philippines, fast-food is the same as in the US. However, the only difference is that they serve Filipino dishes and a few American products being served Filipino-style. Jollibee is the leading fast-food chain in the country with 1,000 stores nationwide. Most international fast-food chains like Subway, McDonald's, Burger King etc. are represented in major Russian cities. There are also local chains like Teremok specializing in Russian cuisine or having elements of it added into their menu. Saudi Arabia has many international fast-food chains including KFC, Burger King, McDonald's and many others. However,

5832-801: The Portland, Oregon area. Also, Whataburger is a popular burger chain in the American South, and Jack in the Box is located in the West and South. Canada pizza chains Topper's Pizza and Pizza Pizza are primarily located in Ontario . Coffee chain Country Style operates only in Ontario, and competes with the famous coffee and donut chain Tim Hortons . Maid-Rite restaurant is one of the oldest chain fast-food restaurants in

5940-505: The US in 1955 (1974 in the UK). It has become a phenomenally successful enterprise in terms of financial growth, brand-name recognition, and worldwide expansion. Ray Kroc, who bought the franchising license from the McDonald brothers, pioneered concepts which emphasized standardization. He introduced uniform products, identical in all respects at each outlet, to increase sales. Kroc also insisted on cutting food costs as much as possible, eventually using

6048-402: The US will reach $ 142 billion in sales in 2006, a 5% increase over 2005. In comparison, the full-service restaurant segment of the food industry is expected to generate $ 173 billion in sales. Fast food has been losing market share to so-called fast-casual restaurants, which offer more robust and expensive cuisines. McDonald's , a fast-food supplier, opened its first franchised restaurant in

6156-520: The Ultimate Cheeseburger, were created in 1999 during an ad campaign featuring an out-of-control advertising executive previously fired by Jack. The boy band would eventually perform their hit "Ultimate Cheeseburger" at the 1999 Billboard Music Awards . The same ad exec featured in a 2001 spot where a medical doctor made exaggerated claims of the benefits of fast food that it would cure baldness, help trim extra pounds, and remove wrinkles. Jack asks

6264-998: The United States West Coast); Krystal , Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits , Cook Out , and Zaxby's restaurants in the American Southeast; Raising Cane's in Louisiana and other mostly Southern states; Hot 'n Now in Michigan and Wisconsin; In-N-Out Burger (in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Texas, with a few locations in Oregon) and Original Tommy's chains in Southern California; Dick's Drive-In in Seattle, Washington and Arctic Circle in Utah and other western states; Halo Burger around Flint, Michigan and Burgerville in

6372-630: The United States. Founded in 1926, their specialty is a loose meat hamburger. Maid-Rites can be found in the midwest - mainly Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and Missouri. International brands dominant in North America include McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's , the number three burger chain in the USA; Dunkin' Donuts , a New England –based chain; automobile oriented Sonic Drive-In 's from Oklahoma City ; Starbucks , Seattle-born coffee-based fast-food beverage corporation; KFC and Taco Bell , which are both part of

6480-676: The Vegans. In 1997, a successful advertising campaign was launched using a fictional musical group called the Spicy Crispy Girls (a take off of the Spice Girls , a British pop music girl group - at the time one of the most popular groups in the world), in comedic national television commercials. The commercials were used to promote the new Jack in the Box Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich (now known as Jack's Spicy Chicken), with

6588-446: The ad exec incredulously, "Where did you find this guy?" The ad exec responds proudly, "Tobacco company." In 2000, an ad involved a man washed up on a remote island with only a Jack in the Box antenna ball as a companion. Later that year, director Robert Zemeckis , claiming the agency had appropriated elements of his Oscar -nominated film Cast Away for the ad, had his lawsuit against the ad agency thrown out. In April 2006, Jack in

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6696-424: The air in a circle while saying "Angus" in one commercial and having other people in the second commercial laugh when the word "Angus" was mentioned. They also attacked Jack in the Box's claim that sirloin, a cut found on all cattle, was of higher quality than Angus beef, which is a breed of cattle. The One variation has a miniature clown hat (dating back to October 1977) with three dots in the upper left-hand corner;

6804-411: The chain has been replacing them with the newer logo throughout the 2010s, along with general updating of their decor. Some locations continue to use this logo as their "Open/Closed" sign. 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,

6912-418: The chain in December 2017. Food items include a variety of chicken tenders and French fries along with hamburger and cheeseburger sandwiches and selections of internationally themed foods such as tacos and egg rolls . Robert O. Peterson already owned several successful restaurants when he opened Topsy's Drive-In at 6270, El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego in 1941. Several more Topsy's were opened. By

7020-410: The closed doors of the Jack in the Box boardroom (a fictionalized version, shown while the aforementioned minimalist theme music from the 1980s Jack in the Box commercials plays), activates a detonation device, and the boardroom explodes in a shower of smoke, wood, and paper. The spot ends with a close-up shot of a small white paper bag, presumably filled with Jack in the Box food, dropping forcefully onto

7128-413: The clown head was removed in 1980. In October 1977, the clown head was in a red box all by itself, with the company name either below or next to the box; signs in front of the restaurants had the clown head only. The "clown head" can be seen on several YouTube videos depicting Jack in the Box commercials from the 1970s and 1980s. Most Jack in the Box locations opened before late 2008 had this logo, although

7236-430: The company had purchased almost a dozen of the units as opposed to the normal one or two found in most restaurants of the time. Enticed by the success of the McDonald's concept, Kroc signed a franchise agreement with the brothers and began opening McDonald's restaurants in Illinois. By 1961, Kroc had bought out the brothers and created what is now the modern McDonald's Corporation. One of the major parts of his business plan

7344-414: The concept later proved unsuccessful, and the last stores were reconverted to Jack in the Box in 2006. 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. What makes the taco unusual is that it is created with

7452-428: The curly fry shape. The curly fry shape can also be produced with spiral scissors. For the spiralisers, the potatoes are cleaned, then are propelled through a set of pipes at 60 miles per hour by water. In the pipes, the potatoes are held in place and sliced by rotating blades, producing a spiral that has been found to go over two and a half feet long when stretched out. The fries are then blanched , dried, battered with

7560-464: The customer service was comparable to most dine-in restaurants. Two of the Jack in the Box restaurants in San Diego (where Jack in the Box is headquartered) were converted to JBX Grill restaurants to test the concept. (The locations in Hillcrest and Pacific Beach still retain many of the JBX elements, including an indoor/outdoor fireplace and modern architecture.) There were also restaurants in Bakersfield, California, Boise, Idaho, and Nampa, Idaho. However,

7668-503: The day, namely breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. Siu mei is offered throughout the day. Dai pai dong and traditional Hong Kong street food may be considered close relatives of the conventional fast-food outlet. Curly Fries Curly fries are french fries cut into a spiral shape, typically seasoned with a distinct spice mix composed primarily of paprika , black pepper , onion powder , and garlic powder . Though they are sometimes said to have been invented by

7776-464: The design. Collaborative design techniques, such as rapid visualization and computer-aided design of restaurant kitchens are now being used to establish equipment specifications that are consistent with restaurant operating and merchandising requirements. In the United States, consumers spent about $ 110 billion on fast food in 2000 (which increased from $ 6 billion in 1970). The National Restaurant Association forecasts that fast-food restaurants in

7884-638: The dietary distinctions of Indian culture by replacing all of the beef with chicken. By the same token, completely meatless options were introduced to the menu due to the prevalence of vegetarianism throughout the country. Multinational corporations typically modify their menus to cater to local tastes, and most overseas outlets are owned by native franchisees. McDonald's in India , for example, uses chicken and paneer rather than beef and pork in their burgers because Hinduism traditionally forbids eating beef. In Israel some McDonald's restaurants are kosher and respect

7992-547: The first Horn & Hardart Automat in Philadelphia in 1902, but their "Automat" at Broadway and 13th Street, in New York City, created a sensation. Numerous Automat restaurants were built around the country to deal with the demand. Automats remained extremely popular throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The company also popularized the notion of "take-out" food, with their slogan "Less work for Mother". Most historians agree that

8100-639: The first fast-food supply chain to provide meat, buns, paper goods, and other supplies to their restaurants, pioneered the concept of the multi-state hamburger restaurant chain, standardized the look and construction of the restaurants themselves, and even developed a construction division that manufactured and built the chain's prefabricated restaurant buildings. The McDonald's Speedee Service System and, much later, Ray Kroc 's McDonald's outlets and Hamburger University all built on principles, systems and practices that White Castle had already established between 1923 and 1932. The hamburger restaurant most associated by

8208-574: The first self-service restaurant (the "Stollwerck-Automatenrestaurant") opened in Berlin's Leipziger Straße . Some trace the modern history of fast food in the United States to 7 July 1912, with the opening of a fast-food restaurant called the Automat in New York. The Automat was a cafeteria with its prepared foods behind small glass windows and coin-operated slots. Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart had already opened

8316-478: The food inspectors discovered other shipments destined for the United States which included kangaroo meat . 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

8424-515: The founders and owners of the chain, Keith G. Cramer and his wife's uncle Matthew Burns, opened their first stores around a piece of equipment known as the Insta-Broiler. The Insta-Broiler oven proved so successful at cooking burgers, they required all of their franchises to carry the device. By 1959 McLamore and Edgarton were operating several locations within the Miami-Dade area and were growing at

8532-525: The franchisee oversees the day-to-day operations of the restaurant and acts as a manager of the store. Once the contract expires, the parent company may choose to "renew the contract, sell the franchise to another franchisee, or operate the restaurant itself." In most fast-food chains, the number of franchised locations exceeds the number of company owned locations. Fast-food chains rely on consistency and uniformity, in internal operations and brand image, across all of their restaurant locations in order to convey

8640-716: The front counter or drive through in real time. Wireless systems allow orders placed at drive through speakers to be taken by cashiers and cooks. Drive through and walk through configurations will allow orders to be taken at one register and paid at another. Modern point of sale systems can operate on computer networks using a variety of software programs. Sales records can be generated and remote access to computer reports can be given to corporate offices, managers, troubleshooters, and other authorized personnel. Food service chains partner with food equipment manufacturers to design highly specialized restaurant equipment, often incorporating heat sensors , timers, and other electronic controls into

8748-426: The girls dancing in "the Jack groove." The Spicy Crispy Girls concept was used as a model for another successful advertising campaign called the 'Meaty Cheesy Boys' to promote the Ultimate Cheeseburger in 1999-2001 (see below). At the 1998 Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) Show, one of the Spicy Crispy Girls commercials won the top award for humor. The Meaty Cheesy Boys, a mock boy band to promote

8856-413: The globe. Variations on the fast-food restaurant concept include fast-casual restaurants and catering trucks . Fast-casual restaurants have higher sit-in ratios, offering a hybrid between counter-service typical at fast-food restaurants and a traditional table service restaurant. Catering trucks (also called food trucks) often park just outside worksites and are popular with factory workers. In 1896,

8964-411: The go" and often does not require traditional cutlery and is eaten as a finger food. Common menu items at fast-food outlets include fish and chips , sandwiches , pitas , hamburgers , fried chicken , french fries , chicken nuggets , tacos , pizza , and ice cream , although many fast-food restaurants offer "slower" foods like chili , mashed potatoes , and salads . Modern commercial fast food

9072-501: The individual stores. Because of commercial emphasis on taste, speed, product safety, uniformity, and low cost, fast-food products are made with ingredients formulated to achieve an identifiable flavor, aroma, texture, and "mouth feel" and to preserve freshness and control handling costs during preparation and order fulfillment. This requires a high degree of food engineering . The use of additives , including salt, sugar, flavorings and preservatives , and processing techniques may limit

9180-540: The larger Canadian cities. Other Canadian fast-food chains such as Manchu Wok serve North American style Asian foods; this company is located mainly in Canada and the US, with other outlets on US military bases on other continents. Harvey's is a Canadian-only burger restaurant chain, present in every province. Australia's fast-food market began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the opening of several American franchises including KFC (1967), Pizza Hut (1970), and McDonald's (1971), followed by Burger King . However,

9288-589: The largest restaurant conglomerate in the world, Yum! Brands ; and Domino's Pizza , a pizza chain known for popularizing home delivery of fast food. Subway is known for their sub sandwiches and are the largest restaurant chain to serve such food items. Quiznos a Denver-based sub shop is another fast-growing sub chain, yet with over 6,000 locations it is still far behind Subway's 34,000 locations. Other smaller sub shops include Blimpie , Jersey Mike's Subs , Mr. Goodcents, Jimmy John's , Potbelly Sandwich Shop , Penn Station , and Firehouse . A&W Restaurants

9396-523: The late 1940s, Peterson's locations had developed a circus-like décor featuring drawings of a starry-eyed clown. In 1947, Peterson obtained rights for the intercom ordering concept from George Manos who owned one location named Chatterbox in Anchorage, Alaska , the first known location to use the intercom concept for drive-up windows. In 1951, Peterson converted the El Cajon Boulevard location into Jack in

9504-587: The local customers. Strategic applies to the specific characteristics of the franchise that will change from the basic format followed by all to fit in the local area. For the most part, someone visiting a McDonald's in the United States will have the same experience as someone visiting a McDonald's in Japan. The interior design, the menu, the speed of service, and the taste of the food will all be very similar. However, some differences do exist to tailor to particular cultural differences. For example, in October 2005 during

9612-565: The market later in the 1990s. Australian pizza chains Eagle Boys and Pizza Haven also entered the market in the 1990s, but their New Zealand operations were later sold to Pizza Hut and Domino's. A few fast-food chains have been founded in New Zealand, including Burger Fuel (founded 1995), Georgie Pie (founded 1977, but closed 1998 after falling into financial trouble and being bought out by McDonald's) and Hell Pizza (founded 1996). The United Kingdom's signature type of fast-food restaurant

9720-438: 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

9828-459: The most popular fast-food restaurant of Saudi Arabia is Albaik . Saudis regard Albaik as better than KFC. In Hong Kong, although McDonald's and KFC are quite popular, three major local fast-food chains provide Hong Kong-style fast food, namely Café de Coral , Fairwood , and Maxim MX . Café de Coral alone serves more than 300,000 customers daily. Unlike western fast-food chains, these restaurants offer four different menus at different times of

9936-513: The needs of the customers. Sometimes it is necessary for a franchisee to modify the way the restaurant/store runs to meet the needs of local customers. As referenced in Bodey's "Localization and Customer Retention for Franchise Service Systems" article, J. L. Bradach claims that a franchise will either use the tactical or strategic local response. Tactical applies to accounting for hiring of personnel and suppliers as well as financial decisions to adapt to

10044-455: The new Campaign. Another ad touting the chain's milkshakes aired in 2001 and was shot in the stilted style of a 1970s-era anti-drug spot, urging kids to "say no to fake shakes" and featured "Larry The Crime Donkey," a parody of McGruff the Crime Dog . In 2007, Jack in the Box began a commercial campaign for their new 100% sirloin beef hamburgers, implying that they were of higher quality than

10152-478: The new direction the company was taking to refocus and regroup after the 1993 E. coli disaster , discussed below, which threatened the chain's very existence. In the original spot that debuted in Fall 1994, Jack ("through the miracle of plastic surgery ", he says as he confidently strides into the office building) reclaims his rightful role as founder and CEO, and, apparently as revenge for being blown up in 1980, approaches

10260-412: The nutritional value of the final product. A value meal is a group of menu items offered together at a lower price than they would cost individually. A hamburger, side of fries, and drink commonly constitute a value meal—or combo depending on the chain. Value meals at fast-food restaurants are common as a merchandising tactic to facilitate bundling , up-selling , and price discrimination . Most of

10368-513: The public with the term "fast food" was created by two brothers originally from Nashua, New Hampshire . Richard and Maurice McDonald opened a barbecue drive-in in 1940 in the city of San Bernardino, California . After discovering that most of their profits came from hamburgers, the brothers closed their restaurant for three months and reopened it in 1948 as a walk-up stand offering a simple menu of hamburgers, french fries , shakes , coffee, and Coca-Cola , served in disposable paper wrapping. As

10476-516: The restaurant chain's food products, or out in the field getting ideas for new menu items. While a series of ads claiming to ask when Burger King and McDonald's will change their ways about making their hamburgers featured a phone number, the caller used to be a recording of Jack himself (as of 2019, the number is a sex hotline). In addition, many commercials have advertised free car antenna balls with every meal, thus increasing brand awareness. Often different types of antenna balls were available during

10584-455: The roof, and a smaller clown head sat atop the intercom, where a sign said, "Pull forward, Jack will speak to you." The Jack in the Box restaurant was conceived as a "modern food machine," designed by La Jolla, California master architect Russell Forester. Quick service made the new location very popular, and soon all of Oscar's locations were redesigned with intercoms and rechristened Jack in the Box restaurants. Peterson formed Foodmaker, Inc. as

10692-473: The time they can be upgraded to a larger side and drink for a small fee. The perceived creation of a "discount" on individual menu items in exchange for the purchase of a "meal" is also consistent with the loyalty marketing school of thought . To make quick service possible and to ensure accuracy and security, many fast-food restaurants have incorporated hospitality point of sale systems . This makes it possible for kitchen crew people to view orders placed at

10800-462: The years, still containing "Jack's secret sauce". 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. 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"). In September 2013, Jack's Munchie Meal

10908-544: Was cut back, then halted. By the end of the decade, Jack in the Box restaurants were sold in increasing numbers. Around 1980, Food maker dramatically altered Jack in the Box's marketing strategy by literally blowing up the chain's symbol, the jack-in-the-box , in television commercials with the tagline, "The food is better at the Box". Jack in the Box announced that it would no longer compete for McDonald's target customer base of families with young children. Instead, Food maker targeted older, more affluent " yuppie " customers with

11016-428: Was introduced. The 4 original Munchie Meals were Spicy Nacho Chicken Sandwich, Sriracha Curly Fry Burger, Stacked Grilled Cheeseburger, and Chick-n-Tater Melt. Each meal also contains two tacos, halfsie fries (curly fries and french fries), and a 20 oz. drink. 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

11124-402: Was originally a United States and Canada fast-food brand, but it is currently an International fast-food corporation in several countries. In Canada the majority of fast-food chains are American owned or were originally American owned but have since set up a Canadian management/headquarters locations such as Panera Bread , Chipotle Mexican Grill , Five Guys , and Carl's Jr. Although the case

11232-568: Was purchased by McLamore and Edgerton who renamed the company Burger King. While fast-food restaurants usually have a seating area in which customers can eat the food on the premises, orders are designed to be taken away, and traditional table service is rare. Orders are generally taken and paid for at a wide counter, with the customer waiting by the counter for a tray or container for their food. A " drive-through " service can allow customers to order and pick up food from their cars. Nearly from its inception, fast food has been designed to be eaten "on

11340-501: Was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951. While the first fast-food restaurant in the United States was a White Castle in 1921, fast-food restaurants had been operating elsewhere much earlier, such as the Japanese fast food company Yoshinoya , started in Tokyo in 1899. Today, American-founded fast-food chains such as McDonald's ( est. 1940) and KFC (est. 1952) are multinational corporations with outlets across

11448-600: 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. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, several locations opened in June 2009. Jack in the Box restaurants last made an appearance in the Albuquerque market about two decades prior. In September 2010, it was announced that 40 under-performing company-owned Jack in

11556-418: 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). In 2005, Jack in the Box announced plans for nationwide expansion by 2010. 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

11664-410: Was to promote cleanliness of his restaurants to growing groups of Americans that had become aware of food safety issues. As part of his commitment to cleanliness, Kroc often took part in cleaning his own Des Plaines, Illinois outlet by hosing down the garbage cans and scraping gum off the cement. Another concept Kroc added was great swaths of glass which enabled the customer to view the food preparation,

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