WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jack in the Box is moving to Florida.
The California-based fast-food chain announced Wednesday during its first-quarter earnings call that it will be expanding into Florida and Arkansas.
Fourteen new Jack in the Box locations are expected to open in the Orlando area.
"Through my travels to the West Coast, I fell in love with the Jack in the Box brand," Orlando franchisee Jonathan Peralta said. "After returning home, I read that Jack in the Box was looking to expand in the Florida market, and I knew that was our sign. Jack in the Box checked all of the boxes of what we were looking for in a franchise opportunity."
With its expansion into Florida, Jack in the Box will have a presence in 23 states, mostly west of the Mississippi River.
Jack in the Box relaunched its franchise program in 2021 and set its sights on Florida, which has been without a location for more than three decades.
According to a September blog on the company's website, the franchise development team is looking to develop in other markets throughout the state. Among the cities mentioned are Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie, Tampa and Jacksonville.
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The estimated initial investment for a Jack in the Box franchise is between $1,765,500 and $2,761,600, excluding land, financing and certain other costs.
A prospective franchisee must have a minimum liquidity of $500,000 and a minimum net worth of $1 million.
It's all part of an ambitious plan by Jack in the Box CEO Darin Harris to grow from more than 2,100 locations to 6,000 spots throughout the country.
Orlando's entry into the Jack in the Box family will mark the first time since the early 1980s that it has a presence in Florida.
Currently, the closest Jack in the Box to South Florida is in Rock Hill, South Carolina.