West Coast Fast Food Chain Sets Its Sights on New Orleans

San Diego-born burger chain Jack in the Box has set its sight on New Orleans, the company announced this week, with the goal of bringing 50 restaurant to the New Orleans area over the next several years.

Jack in the Box is currently seeking franchisees throughout Louisiana, in New Orleans, Lafayette, Alexandria, and so forth; basically anywhere along the I-10 corridor, the company says (the chain has had restaurants in Baton Rouge for around two decades and in Gonzales more recently). The restaurant, which was founded in the 1950s, is probably best known for its burgers, but also tacos, and has since broadened into seemingly random menu items like chicken fajita pitas, teriyaki bowls, tiny tacos, mini churros, and chocolate overload cake.

It will be at least a year before any Jack in the Boxes make their New Orleans debut, but by then they will have some new fast food competition in town: In May, the city granted final approval for the first standalone Chick-fil-A restaurants in Orleans Parish, one at Tulane and South Carrollton Avenues, one downtown at Poydras Street and Loyola Avenue, and one on the West Bank. The Mid City location was particularly controversial, mostly due to traffic concerns, but unsurprisingly, the Sidney Torres IV-backed development made it through the City Council and City Planning Commission approvals and is under construction, with the goal to open by the end of 2022.

The company’s head of franchise recruitment told the Advocate of the expansion that it wants to go into areas “where people have the highest propensity to go to a Jack in the Box.” We’ll see if that’s true of New Orleans, but maybe leave those chicken sandwiches off local menus — it is the land of Popeyes, after all.