Jack in the Box is Back in Illinois, Seven More Locations Planned

For years, west coasters have gloated to people in the Midwest and the east coast that they had easy access to delicacies only served in their region. It's a fast food chain that, despite being regional, features an instantly recognizable mascot, and is known for their butter burgers, French fries, as well as other internationally popular foods such as tacos and egg rolls.

In 2024, the popular fast food chain Jack in the Box announced they would be expanding, particularly in the Chicago area. Jack in the Box actually did exist in Chicago at one point. It was back in the late 1960s, and stuck around well into the 1980s before vanishing from the region, becoming a chain that almost exclusively existed on the west coast.

The First Jack in the Box in Illinois is Now Open!:

Well, the time has come and the first Jack in the Box has opened in the Chicago area after a 40-year absence, per NBC 5 Chicago. The first of eight planned locations opened Monday, the inaugural restaurant arriving in Plainfield on Route 59 near Vermette Circle.

Jack in the Box is open 24 hours a day, as many fast food locations once were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Plainfield location has a dine-in area, a drive-thru, as well as the option to order your meal on your phone.

Where Will Other Illinois Jack in the Box Locations Be Located?:

Seven other Jack in the Box locations will be coming to Illinois as well, per NBC 5 Chicago:

Carol Stream: 441 E. Geneva Rd., opening Aug. 2025
Chicago: 7807 S. Cicero Ave., opening Sept. 2025
Countryside: 5656 s. La Grange Rd., opening July 2025
Lake in the Hills: 320 N. Randall Rd., opening Sept. 2025
Naperville: 1600 E. Ogden. Ave., opening Aug. 2025
New Lenox: 672 E. Lincoln Hwy., opening Aug. 2025
Tinley Park: 9550 179th St., opening Sept. 2025

What Kind of Food Does Jack in the Box Serve?:

Photo Credits: WGN News, YouTube

Although best known for their hamburgers, Jack in the Box's most popular product is actually their taco. The company apparently sells an upwards of 554 million a year. Unusually prepared, the Jack in the Box taco is created with the meat and hard taco shell in their Texas and Kansas facilities, frozen for transport/storage, and then deep-fried and prepared with lettuce, cheese, and mild taco sauce at the restaurant prior to being served.

The Sourdough Jack is Jack in the Box's signature burger, consisting of a beef patty topped with bacon, tomato, Swiss-style cheese, mayo, and ketchup on a toasted sourdough bread.

"A Strategic Expansion:"

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In what Jack in the Box is calling a "strategic expansion," the fast food chain plans to open as many as 10 new locations across Chicago and the Chicagoland suburbs:

The Plainfield restaurant's opening "launches Jack in the Box's broader Chicago market strategy, with the company identifying hundreds more potential trade areas for future corporate and franchise development throughout the region - a news release from Jack in the Box, per NBC 5 Chicago

Read more about Jack in the Box's expansion into Illinois on NBC 5 Chicago's website.