Jack in the Box coming soon to the suburbs

JOLIET, Ill. — West Coast fast food chain Jack in the Box is returning to the Chicago area after a decades-long absence and Joliet is projected to be one of the restaurant’s first locations.

Joliet City Council members voted unanimously, 9-0, Tuesday night to approve a license and permit application for the future location at 2101 IL Rt. 59. Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy was the last deciding vote.

The latest development comes after the company announced a 12-unit franchising deal in Chicago in September.

Speaking with the Chicago Tribune this past summer, Jack in the Box CEO Darin Harris discussed the company’s plans to open several locations in Chicago’s suburbs. Harris told the Tribune the company hoped to open more than 125 stores in the area, including New Lenox, Naperville, Plainfield, Carol Stream, Tinley Park, Lake in the Hills, Countryside and a Chicago location near Midway.

“This strategic expansion into Chicago allows us to not only satisfy long-standing customer demand for our brand but also to become a key member in the region’s thriving restaurant scene,” Harris said in a July press release .

The first wave of Chicagoland locations will open throughout 2025.

Jack in the Box first opened in the Chicago area in the late 1960s and left in the 1980s.

The fast-food eatery has more than 2,00 locations nationwide.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.