Jack in the Buyout Box
The West Coast fast-food chain needs to take advantage of buyer interest amid a flurry of restaurant dealmaking.
Shareholders should take their order to go.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/BloombergThe theme in the restaurant industry right now is, if you can’t beat them, join them — which is why a record number of restaurant businesses are changing hands. Jack in the Box Inc. needs to partner up while there’s interest.
More than 100 North American restaurant chains were sold in 2017, a frenzied pace which continued this year, most recently with Inspire Brands Inc.’s $2.3 billion takeover of Sonic Corp. Inspire Brands, which owns Arby’s, also acquired Buffalo Wild Wings less than a year ago. Other companies to get scooped up along the way by larger peers and private equity firms include Panera Bread Co., Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc., Bojangles’ Inc., Bob Evans Restaurants, Ruby Tuesday Inc. and Jack in the Box’s Qdoba chain.