Jack in the Box Is Making a Return to Metro Detroit

We’ve made it no secret that among all of the dining options that exist in the world, the culty Southern California-based fast-food favorite Jack in the Box maintains a special place in our hearts. It looks like those of us in metro Detroit who grew up out West who leaned on the business clown’s value menu, late-night hours, and its perfectly trashy crunchy tacos will find deep-fried comfort when the chain makes its way to the region in the coming years. According to a news announcement issued Wednesday, November 20, two local franchisees Maan Almansour and Andi Kareem plan to bring five of the restaurants to metro Detroit. Details about the locations and timing of these openings were not immediately announced. Eater has reached out to the company to seek comment about a possible timeline and will provide that information once it becomes available. This week’s Jack news comes after an announcement earlier this year that the San Diego-based chain would build five locations in West Michigan over the next five years with a different franchisee, concentrated mostly on the southwest side of the state, in particular in Kent, Kalamazoo, and Calhoun counties, with the first location expected to open in Battle Creek. In July, the company also announced its return to another Midwest market, the Chicagoland, beginning in 2025, with eight company-owned restaurants and the possibility of 125 more, spanning the region from Northwest Indiana to Southeast Wisconsin. According to testimonials in online forums like DetroitYES!, it’s been decades since Jack in the Box last had a location in Michigan. For West Coasters, the attraction to Jack in the Box may have to do with the way that its two-for-99-cent tacos held us over during our broke college days. The way that those little cups of Buttermilk House Sauce (AKA Ranch) somehow makes every order in the drive-thru better. How a Sourdough Jack takes the humble fast-food burger and makes it gourmet with its griddled buns, Swiss cheese, and bacon.