Jack's history

Texas was next on the expansion agenda, with Jack in the Box units popping up in Houston and the Dallas–Fort Worth areas in 1963.

The former was incorporated in July 1965 as Jack in the Box Inc.

Such optimism pervaded Foodmaker’s management in 1966 for several reasons.

1968-85: RALSTON PURINA SUBSIDIARY

Needing to shift gears to effect a turnaround, Food-maker management began the following decade on an explosive note when the chain in 1980 signaled a dramatic shift in marketing strategy by blowing up its symbol, the jack-in-the-box clown, in television commercials.

After Foodmaker’s new strategy had recorded encouraging success for several years, Ralston Purina came out with its own new strategic plan, announcing in 1985 that it would continue to own only those companies that were number one in their respective markets.

In 1988 Foodmaker acquired Chi-Chi’s Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, for $235 million.

In 1991 the company suffered an 81 percent decline in net earnings, while annual sales remained flat, hovering at $1.15 billion.

In the meantime, in early 1994, Foodmaker settled four wrongful-death lawsuits stemming from the E. coli outbreak, paying the victims’ families an unspecified amount.

An aggressive attempt to achieve a recovery was launched in 1995.

Foodmaker achieved a full-year profit of $20 million in the fiscal year ending in September 1996 as sales swelled 4.3 percent.

Longtime company CEO Jack Goodall retired from that position in April 1996 but remained Foodmaker chairman. It also put the E. coli tragedy farther behind it in early 1998 by reaching a settlement with the Vons Companies, its main meat processor prior to the outbreak.

In fiscal 1999 more than 100 Jack in the Box outlets opened for business, bringing the total to more than 1,500, while existing units enjoyed robust sales gains thanks to improved service and an increased advertising emphasis on the quality of the chain’s food offerings.

After enjoying another solid year in fiscal 2000, Jack in the Box saw its sales and profit growth stagnate along with the rest of the fast-food industry amid the economic downturn that began the new century.

In 2002, after three years of testing, the company began rolling out its own convenience store format called Quick Stuff.

In the meantime, the company’s core Jack in the Box chain in 2003 began revamping its menu to take it more upscale and make it more appealing to women and older men, thus widening the target customer base beyond the chain’s stronghold of 18- to 34-year-old males.

Nugent retired in October 2005.

Sales were up strongly during the first half of fiscal 2007.

Todd Bartmess isn’t your stereotypical CEO. Since joining Jack’s in 2015, Bartmess has worked tirelessly to get up close and personal with all things Jack’s.

Matt joined Jack’s in October, 2016, and serves as Jack’s Chief Financial Officer.

Billie Jo Waara, Chief Marketing Officer, joined Jack’s in January 2020.