Beloved burger chain shutters 100 locations as CEO aims at remaining competitive

The once beloved burger chain officially sold Del Taco for nearly $120 million as it refocuses on its core business — but the burger chain continues to struggle, with plans to close as many as 100 locations.

“Jack in the Box finished Q1 with 2,128 restaurants systemwide—1,979 franchises and 149 company-operated restaurants,” QSR, a trade publication covering the quick-service restaurant industry, wrote. “In fiscal 2026, the brand is looking towards 20 new openings and 50 to 100 closures, most of which will be franchise stores.

As a result, longtime customers might be wondering what’s next for the burger chain.

With that in mind, CEO Lance Tucker admitted in a conference call earlier this year that Jack-in-the-Box needs to think ‘outside of the box’ if it wants to compete in the dense space, Men’s Journal reported.

“We’ve always been smaller than some of these really big chains like a McDonald’s or Taco Bell, Burger King, whoever it may be. I think in order for us to be successful when they’re out there with heavy value, we’ve got to have our own consistent value,” Tucker shared. “And then we’ve got to lean into what really differentiates Jack, which is innovation. We have a lot of innovation, both within our LTOs but also within our core menu.”