Who Owns Jack in the Box?
Shareholders. Jack in the Box is a public company on the Nasdaq, still based in San Diego where it started in 1951. The bigger story is the taco chain it bought for 575 million dollars and sold three years later for 115 million.
Most Jack in the Box restaurants are run by franchisees, so the one you visit is usually owned locally even though the brand belongs to the public company.
Who has owned it over the years
| Period | Owner |
|---|---|
| 1951 to 1968 | Founder Robert O. Peterson, through his company Foodmaker from 1960 |
| 1968 to 1985 | Ralston Purina, the pet food and consumer goods company |
| 1985 | Management buys the company back from Ralston Purina |
| 1987 onward | A public company, later renamed Jack in the Box Inc., trading as JACK |
Ralston Purina owning a burger chain sounds odd now, but in the 1960s and 1970s food and consumer companies bought restaurant chains to grow. The origin of the name itself is in why is it called Jack in the Box.
The Del Taco deal
This is the part of the ownership story that made headlines. Jack in the Box agreed in December 2021 to buy Del Taco, a Mexican fast food chain, for about 575 million dollars, and completed the deal in March 2022.
It did not work out. Del Taco’s same store sales fell for six quarters in a row, its restaurant count slipped from around 600 to about 550, and it struggled to compete on value. In October 2025 Jack in the Box agreed to sell Del Taco to Yadav Enterprises for 115 million dollars, and the sale was completed in December 2025.
Yadav Enterprises is a large franchise operator that also runs Jack in the Box restaurants and was part of the group that bought Denny’s in 2026, as covered in who owns Denny’s. Jack in the Box also owned Qdoba Mexican Grill until selling it to Apollo Global Management in 2017.
The JACK on Track plan
Selling Del Taco was one part of a turnaround announced in April 2025, called JACK on Track. The main steps were:
| Step | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Closures | Closing 150 to 200 underperforming Jack in the Box restaurants |
| Debt | Selling real estate and using the cash to pay down debt |
| Lighter model | Relying more on franchisees and slowing company built openings |
| Focus | Selling Del Taco to concentrate on the core brand |
The chain is still expanding in new areas at the same time. It opened its first Central Florida restaurant in February 2026, converted former Arby’s sites in the Chicago area, and opened in Michigan in 2026.
Who runs it now
| Detail | Current position |
|---|---|
| Company | Jack in the Box Inc. |
| Stock listing | Nasdaq, ticker JACK |
| Headquarters | San Diego, California |
| Leadership | Mark King, executive chairman and interim chief executive since May 2026 |
| Size | About 2,700 restaurants in 22 US states and Mexico |
Current prices and the full lineup are on the Jack in the Box menu.
Related Questions
Who owns Jack in the Box?
Its shareholders. Jack in the Box Inc. is a public company traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker JACK and headquartered in San Diego. It is not owned by a larger restaurant group, and most individual restaurants are run by franchisees.
Does Jack in the Box own Del Taco?
Not anymore. Jack in the Box bought Del Taco for about 575 million dollars in 2022 but sold it to Yadav Enterprises for 115 million dollars in 2025. The sale was completed in December 2025.
Who is the CEO of Jack in the Box?
Mark King became executive chairman and interim chief executive in May 2026, replacing Lance Tucker, who led the company through the sale of Del Taco.
Is Jack in the Box closing restaurants?
Some. Under its JACK on Track plan announced in April 2025, the company set out to close 150 to 200 underperforming restaurants while opening in new areas such as Central Florida, Chicago and Michigan.
Who owned Jack in the Box before?
Founder Robert O. Peterson ran it until 1968, when he sold it to Ralston Purina. Management bought it back in 1985, and it became a public company soon after.
Is Jack in the Box related to Denny’s?
Only indirectly. Yadav Enterprises, which bought Del Taco from Jack in the Box, is also a Jack in the Box franchisee and part of the group that bought Denny’s in 2026. The two chains remain separate companies.
More on Jack in the Box
About this guide. USA Food Menu is an independent reference site and is not affiliated with Jack in the Box or Del Taco. Ownership details and restaurant counts come from company announcements and published reporting and change over time. Current prices and calories are on the Jack in the Box menu.
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