Company Description
Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK) is a restaurant company in the accommodation and food services sector. The company is founded and headquartered in San Diego, California and focuses on operating and franchising quick-service restaurants. Its primary brand is Jack in the Box®, described in company materials as one of the nation’s largest hamburger chains, with a restaurant base spanning multiple U.S. states.
According to company disclosures, Jack in the Box operates and franchises approximately 2,100+ restaurants across more than 20 states under the Jack in the Box brand. The restaurants participate in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) category, with a menu that includes items such as hamburgers and other offerings referenced in company and brand communications. The business model combines company-operated restaurants with a substantial franchised system, generating revenues from company restaurant sales, franchise rental revenues, franchise royalties and other fees, and franchise contributions for advertising and related services.
Jack in the Box has also historically been associated with the Del Taco® brand. Company earnings releases describe Del Taco as the second largest Mexican-American QSR chain in the U.S. by units, with hundreds of restaurants across multiple states. However, the company has executed a significant portfolio change. In an 8-K filing and related press releases, Jack in the Box reported that it entered into, and then completed, a sale of Del Taco Holdings Inc. to an entity affiliated with Yadav Enterprises Inc. This transaction, completed on December 22, 2025, divested the Del Taco operations and is described as a key step in the company’s broader strategic plan.
The company refers to this strategic framework as its “Jack on Track” plan. Public communications describe this plan as focused on strengthening the balance sheet, simplifying the business, and returning to a simpler, asset-light business model. Elements of this plan include the sale of Del Taco, a program of targeted restaurant closures described as a block closure program, and the use of proceeds and other actions to reduce debt. In a January 2026 press release, Jack in the Box highlighted the repayment of a portion of its fixed rate senior secured notes as part of its ongoing prioritization of debt reduction under the Jack on Track plan.
Within its core Jack in the Box brand, the company emphasizes brand-focused marketing and menu innovation. Press releases describe limited-time and ongoing menu platforms such as Protein Bowls and Jack Wraps, as well as value-oriented offerings like Munch Better Deals and seasonal promotions such as “24 Days of Jackmas” for loyalty program members. These initiatives are presented as ways to give guests compelling reasons to visit, with a mix of value, variety, and themed promotions that can be accessed in-restaurant or through digital channels such as the Jack app.
Jack in the Box also highlights its focus on technology and operational modernization. In early 2026, the company announced completion of a systemwide deployment of Qu’s unified commerce platform across more than 2,100 restaurants, replacing a decades-old legacy point-of-sale system. Company statements describe this modernization as enabling faster menu updates, digital ordering support, and the ability to run multiple order channels on a single platform, including drive-thru, kiosk, counter, app, and delivery. The company links this technology investment to its Jack on Track plan, emphasizing goals such as operational agility, digital expansion, and long-term resiliency.
From a financial and structural perspective, Jack in the Box’s public filings and earnings releases describe multiple revenue components and margin measures. These include company restaurant sales, franchise rental revenues, franchise royalties and other income, and franchise contributions for advertising and other services. The company also reports non-GAAP metrics such as restaurant-level margin and franchise-level margin for its Jack in the Box segment, reflecting performance at the restaurant and franchise system levels. In its guidance for fiscal 2026, the company indicated expectations for restaurant counts, same-store sales ranges, and margin levels for the Jack in the Box brand, noting that Del Taco results would be reflected in discontinued operations following the sale.
The company’s capital allocation and governance approach has also been the subject of recent SEC filings. In 2025, Jack in the Box adopted a Stockholder Protection Rights Agreement and later amended it to adjust the definition of an “Acquiring Person,” including exemptions for certain passive institutional investors below a specified ownership threshold. The company also entered into a Nomination and Cooperation Agreement with GreenWood Investors, LLC, under which two new independent directors were appointed to the Board and a Capital Allocation Committee was established. This committee is tasked with supporting the Board’s and management’s review of significant strategic initiatives, including capital allocation priorities, the portfolio of assets such as real estate, special capital projects, and capital structure.
Jack in the Box’s disclosures describe its restaurant footprint and performance in terms of systemwide sales, same-store sales, restaurant counts, and openings and closures. For the Jack in the Box brand, the company reports separate performance for company-operated and franchised restaurants, along with system-level metrics. The company has opened new restaurants in selected markets and closed others, including closures associated with the Jack on Track block closure program. These structural changes are presented as part of a broader effort to improve long-term financial performance and align the restaurant base with the company’s strategic and financial objectives.
Overall, Jack in the Box Inc. presents itself in its public communications as a San Diego–based quick-service restaurant company centered on the Jack in the Box brand, with a large, multi-state footprint and a mix of company-operated and franchised locations. Through the Jack on Track plan, the company is emphasizing balance sheet strengthening, an asset-light orientation, technology modernization, and brand-focused marketing and menu initiatives, while using transactions such as the sale of Del Taco and targeted debt repayment to reshape its capital structure and business profile.