"Jack in the Box, home of the ping pong ball-shaped mascot, turns 75 this week on Saturday, Feb. 21. The first restaurant opened on Feb. 21, 1951 at 6270 El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego, near San Diego State University. It was founded by a former undergraduate, Robert O. Peterson. The chain has grown to about 2,135 restaurants in 21 states, according to a recent news release, but remains based in San Diego."
"Southern California was a hotbed of creativity when it came to fast food in the second half of the 20th century. Jack in the Box's claim to fame was pioneering the drive-thru, a feat that won it a place in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. "Ever since we were founded in 1951, we really were a brand that was rooted in innovation," said Sheena Dougher, vice president of marketing for the chain."
"Like Ray Kroc of McDonald's fame, Robert O. Peterson spent time as a milkshake mixer salesman before hitting it big, according to his obituaries. Kroc became famous, Peterson less so. Born in 1916, he was not a very public person but he made his presence felt. As an undergraduate in the 1930s, he founded the Collegiate Club, which put on dances at Balboa Park."
Jack in the Box reached its 75th anniversary on Feb. 21 and is identified by a ping pong ball-shaped mascot. The first restaurant opened Feb. 21, 1951 at 6270 El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego, near San Diego State University. Robert O. Peterson founded the chain after attending college and earlier running a drive-in called Oscar's. The company expanded to about 2,135 restaurants in 21 states while keeping its headquarters in San Diego. The chain pioneered the fast-food drive-thru and earned recognition from the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Distinctive advertising and menu items, including tacos, shaped the brand identity.
Read at The Mercury News
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