Jack in the Box: History, Key Facts and Reviews

1951-1967: Robert O. Peterson’s intercom drive-thru in San Diego

Jack in the Box was born as a drive-thru burger stand where customers ordered through an intercom. Robert O. Peterson, who had run Topsy’s Drive-In since 1941, opened the first restaurant at 6270 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego on February 21, 1951 (Wikipedia). He had bought the rights to the two-way intercom in 1947 from George Manos, an Alaska drive-in owner. Peterson grouped his restaurants under a holding company, Foodmaker, in 1960.

1968-1992: Ralston Purina, a lost clown and a return to the market

Jack in the Box grew fast under Ralston Purina, then lost its way. Peterson sold Foodmaker to the food group in 1968, when it had more than 180 restaurants, mainly in California and the Southwest. The push into East Coast markets was cut back, then halted at the end of the 1970s. Around 1980, the company literally blew up its clown mascot in TV commercials, and in late 1985 it even tried the name “Monterey Jack’s” before going back to Jack in the Box. Management bought Foodmaker from Ralston Purina in 1985 and took it public in 1987, with 897 restaurants and $655 million in sales.

1993-2017: the E. coli outbreak and the comeback of Jack

The chain’s worst crisis changed food safety in the United States. Between December 1992 and February 1993, undercooked patties contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 at 73 Jack in the Box restaurants in Washington, Idaho, California and Nevada caused 732 confirmed cases and killed four children (Wikipedia). The USDA then classified that strain as an adulterant in ground beef, and 155 °F became the reference cooking temperature for hamburgers. The brand recovered in 1994 with ads starring “Jack,” a fictional chief executive. Our Jumbo Jack copycat recipe recreates its best-known burger.

2018-2026: Del Taco, closures and 2,115 restaurants

Today Jack in the Box is a smaller, almost fully franchised chain. It completed the purchase of Del Taco in March 2022, then sold it to Yadav Enterprises for $115 million on December 22, 2025. In fiscal 2025, which ended on September 28, 2025, it opened 31 restaurants, closed 86 and finished with 2,136, including three in Mexico, where it returned in February 2024 with a restaurant in Chihuahua, and two in Guam. Systemwide sales fell to $4.21 billion, from $4.40 billion a year earlier (Q4 2025 results). About 70% of the restaurants are in California and Texas. Its “JACK on Track” plan calls for 50 to 60 more closures in fiscal 2026, and the count stood at 2,115 on July 5, 2026 (Q3 2026 results). For a double-patty classic, try our Ultimate Cheeseburger recipe.

Key dates

• 1951: Robert O. Peterson opens the first Jack in the Box in San Diego, on February 21.
• 1968: Ralston Purina buys Foodmaker, the chain’s parent company.
• 1987: Foodmaker goes public with 897 restaurants.
• 1993: the E. coli outbreak in four western states kills four children.
• 1994: the “Jack” advertising campaign relaunches the brand.
• 2022: Jack in the Box completes the purchase of Del Taco.
• 2025: Del Taco is sold on December 22; the chain closes fiscal 2025 with 2,136 restaurants.
• 2026: 2,115 restaurants on July 5.