Jack in the Box fast-food restaurants returning to Chicago area after 40-year absence
Jack in the Box plans to pop up in the Chicago area after a 40-year absence.
The San Diego-based fast food chain, popular for its burgers and tacos, is looking to open eight new 24-hour restaurants in the city and suburbs between 2025 and 2026.
Most locations will be in the suburbs — including Countryside, Lake in the Hills, Tinley Park, Carol Stream, Naperville, Plainfield, and New Lenox. The only city location will be near Midway Airport, according to a statement sent to the Sun-Times.
“We’re excited to bring our unique menu where customers can order any item at any time — day or night,” said Darin Harris, CEO of Jack in the Box, in a statement.
Nine locations are already operating in downstate Illinois, with the closest about 4 hours away in Litchfield.
Jack in the Box had 20 restaurants in the Chicago area in the late 1970s. By the early 1980s, the chain shut them down to focus on developing locations in the southwestern United States, a spokesperson told DNAInfo in 2014.
Jack in the Box has spent the last year expanding its footprint into other states, including Utah and Kentucky and internationally in Mexico. Other potential sites for future expansion include Arkansas, Montana, Wyoming, Michigan, Florida, and Georgia.
Chicago, northwest Indiana, and southeast Wisconsin are part of the company’s marketing plan that it hopes will help in building up its brand.
Jack in the Box is known for its variety of menu options, featuring customer favorites such as burgers, tacos, chicken tenders, sandwiches, and milkshakes. The new locations will offer all-hours dine-in, drive-thru, and mobile ordering options.