Earlier this year, three popular fast-food chains revealed they would close at least 200 stores. Wendy’s will close as many as 358 stores, while pizza chains Pizza Hut and Papa John’s will close 250 and 200 stores respectively.
Those fast-food chains aren’t the only ones hurting, though. Earlier this year, Jack in the Box also announced plans to close a number of stores.
Jack in the Box is officially selling Del Taco for nearly $120 million to focus on its core business. However, despite the lucrative sale, the business is still struggling and plans to close up to 100 stores.
“Jack in the Box had 2,128 restaurants systemwide in the first quarter, including 1,979 franchised and 149 company-operated restaurants,” QSR wrote. “By fiscal 2026, the brand plans to open 20 new locations and close 50 to 100, the majority of which will be franchised.
On a conference call earlier this year, CEO Lance Tucker acknowledged that the burger chain needed to think differently if it wanted to compete in a crowded environment.
“We’ve always been smaller than some of the really big chains, like McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Burger King, whoever it is. I think in order for us to be successful when they have tremendous value, we have to have our own consistent value,” Tucker said. “Then we have to focus on what really sets Jack’s apart, which is innovation. We have a lot of innovation, not just in our LTO but in our core menu.”
The CEO also revealed his plans for the future.
“2026 is about laying the foundation for sustainable long-term growth, and that requires a lot of hard work now. We believe the actions we are taking will result in a stronger, more stable platform for growth. We are starting to see early results, which is proof that we are on the right path,” Tucker said.
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This article was originally published by Men’s Journal on March 19, 2026, and first appeared in the News section. Click here to add Men’s Diary as your go-to source.
