Three Jack in the Box restaurants are slated for Brevard County as the brand makes its long-awaited return to Florida after more than four decades away.
Cocoa, Melbourne and Palm Bay are on the list of future sites for the growing franchise model.
The California-based chain — known for its expansive menu and its unmistakable ping-pong-ball-headed mascot — has already opened its first new Florida location in Longwood, with more slated in Orlando soon.
The comeback comes on the heels of the company’s 75th anniversary and is part of a broader growth push into the Southeast.
“Expanding into Florida, one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing states, aligns perfectly with our strategic plan,” said Tim Linderman, Jack in the Box’s chief development officer.
Jack in the Box currently operates about 2,100 locations across 25 states, with plans to add more than 400 additional restaurants over the next three years.
What other Jack in the Box locations are coming to Florida?
Jack in the Box says it has over 20 store commitments for the Greater Orlando area:
What is on the Jack in the Box menu?
Jack in the Box is best known for its burgers and tacos, along with its iconic mascot, a ping-pong ball-headed clown that’s instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up on the West Coast.
The chain got its start in 1951, selling burgers for 18 cents each. But from the beginning, its best-selling item wasn’t a burger at all. Jack in the Box leaned early into tacos, and America never looked back. By 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that Americans were eating 554 million Jack in the Box tacos every year.
Today, the menu spans far beyond burgers and tacos. Depending on the location, customers can order regular, curly or loaded fries (think spicy triple cheese and bacon), onion rings, fried chicken strips and poppers, egg rolls, stuffed jalapeños, hard-shell tacos, breakfast burritos, sausage croissants, milkshakes and mini churros.
Emmy Bailey is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Jack’s back. 3 Jack in the Box restaurants planned for Brevard
Reporting by Amber Olesen and Emmy Bailey, Florida Today / Florida Today
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By Amber Olesen and Emmy Bailey, Florida Today | USA TODAY Network
