Jack's: Difference between revisions

From Bhamwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(I'm not sure the current location is exactly where the first one was.)
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Image:Jacks logo.png|right]]
[[Image:Jacks logo.png|right]]
'''Jack's''', originally known as '''Jack's Hamburgers''', is a fast food restaurant chain with locations in several southeastern states.  It was founded in [[1960]] by [[Jack Caddell]] as a single walk-up stand in [[Homewood]].
'''Jack's''', originally known as '''Jack's Hamburgers''', is a fast food restaurant chain with locations in several southeastern states.  


== History ==
== History ==
The original menu featured items such as  fifteen cent hamburgers and fries, twenty cent shakes, and a twenty cent "Fish-On-A-Bun."  Jack's rapidly expanded and by the mid-1960s, there were at least nine locations in [[Birmingham District|Birmingham area]], plus one store each in Jackson, Mississippi and Charleston, South Carolina.
Jack's was founded in [[1960]] by [[Jack Caddell]]. He was inspired by the early spread of the McDonald's hamburger chain in California and introduced the quick-service concept to Alabama with his first location in downtown [[Homewood]].
 
Jack's original menu featured items such as  fifteen cent hamburgers and fries, twenty cent shakes, and a twenty cent "Fish-On-A-Bun."  Jack's rapidly expanded and by the mid-1960s, there were at least nine locations in [[Birmingham District|Birmingham area]], plus one store each in Jackson, Mississippi and Charleston, South Carolina.


Jack's targeted most of its advertising at children.  Part of this advertising was sponsoring local children's television shows hosted by [[Cousin Cliff]], Bozo the Clown, and [[Sergeant Jack]].  Many Birmingham residents still remember the early Jack's jingle:
Jack's targeted most of its advertising at children.  Part of this advertising was sponsoring local children's television shows hosted by [[Cousin Cliff]], Bozo the Clown, and [[Sergeant Jack]].  Many Birmingham residents still remember the early Jack's jingle:
Line 15: Line 17:
The jingle was composed by [[Henry Kimbrell]] and produced by [[Ed Boutwell]]. Jack's continues to use an abberviated version in their advertising today.
The jingle was composed by [[Henry Kimbrell]] and produced by [[Ed Boutwell]]. Jack's continues to use an abberviated version in their advertising today.


In the mid to late 1970s, Jack's was expanding into south Alabama and the Florida panhandle.  In the 1980s many of these locations began to close, but at least one individual was having success with Jack's.  [[Benny LaRussa]], primarily involved in the grocery business, had purchased a single franchise in the '60's.  In 1979, LaRussa abandoned groceries and purchased a franchise territory of 13 Jack's stores.  From then until 1988 he expanded his territory to 33 stores. Then, in 1989, LaRussa purchased the total franchise rights to the Jack's concept.
[[Jimmy Moreland]] became one of the chain's first franchise owners, and took over as chief executive of the chain when Florida Capitol bought it from Caddell in [[1970]]. The next decade saw the company expand from 17 stores to almost 80 locations in five states. Increased competition from national chains forced the closure of numerous locations through the 1980s.  


In 2006 there were approximately 76 Jack's locations across four states. Jack's Family Restaurants, Inc. is still a privately-held company with one franchisee, Manna Enterprises, Inc.  The original Jack's in Homewood was recently renovated and, since the construction of [[SoHo Square]], occupies a newly-privileged spot directly in front of the new [[Homewood City Hall]].  Jack's corporate headquarters are at 124 [[West Oxmoor Road]] in [[Homewood]].
During that period, franchisee [[Benny LaRussa]], a career grocer, began expanding his operating territory from a single location he had operated since the 1960s.  In [[1979]], LaRussa purchased a franchise territory of 13 Jack's stores.  From then until [[1988]] he expanded his territory to 33 stores, almost all of the locations still in business. In [[1989]], LaRussa purchased sole franchise rights for the Jack's concept. He also supplies Jack's and many area Subway restaurants with his [[Southeastern Food Merchandisers]] wholesale grocey business.
 
Another longtime franchisee, [[Wayne Reaves]], built the Anniston-area market back up with a cluster of stores owned by his Manna Enterprises.
 
By [[2006]] there were approximately 76 Jack's locations across four states, mostly company-owned. Jack's Family Restaurants, Inc. remains a privately-held company Manna Enterprises as its sole franchisee. The chain builds ties within the stores' communities, including elected officials, school and athletic leaders and other business owners. Each location has a hostess on staff to tend to dining room patrons. The typical Jack's restaurant makes 45% of its revenue at the lunch hour and 35% from breakfast service. Its customer base is older than the average fast-food chain.
 
The original Jack's in Homewood was recently renovated and, since the construction of [[SoHo Square]], occupies a newly-privileged spot directly in front of the new [[Homewood City Hall]].  Jack's corporate headquarters are at 124 [[West Oxmoor Road]] in [[Homewood]].


==Trademark design==
==Trademark design==
Line 56: Line 64:


==References==
==References==
* Hayes, Jack (January 28, 2002) "Jack's: Service with a smile brightens fast-food chain's future as it re-emerges as a Southeastern force." ''Nation's Restaurant News''.
* [http://www.birminghamrewound.com/jacks.htm Jack's Hamburgers] at [[Birmingham Rewound]]
==External links==
*[http://www.eatatjacks.com/ Jack's official website]
*[http://www.eatatjacks.com/ Jack's official website]
*[http://www.birminghamrewound.com/jacks.htm Birmingham Rewound - Jack's Hamburgers]


[[Category:Restaurant chains]]
[[Category:Restaurant chains]]

Revision as of 17:41, 3 September 2007

Jacks logo.png

Jack's, originally known as Jack's Hamburgers, is a fast food restaurant chain with locations in several southeastern states.

History

Jack's was founded in 1960 by Jack Caddell. He was inspired by the early spread of the McDonald's hamburger chain in California and introduced the quick-service concept to Alabama with his first location in downtown Homewood.

Jack's original menu featured items such as fifteen cent hamburgers and fries, twenty cent shakes, and a twenty cent "Fish-On-A-Bun." Jack's rapidly expanded and by the mid-1960s, there were at least nine locations in Birmingham area, plus one store each in Jackson, Mississippi and Charleston, South Carolina.

Jack's targeted most of its advertising at children. Part of this advertising was sponsoring local children's television shows hosted by Cousin Cliff, Bozo the Clown, and Sergeant Jack. Many Birmingham residents still remember the early Jack's jingle:

Jack's Hamburgers for 15 cents
are so good...good...good,
you'll go back, back, back
to Jack's, Jack's, Jack's
for more...more...more.

The jingle was composed by Henry Kimbrell and produced by Ed Boutwell. Jack's continues to use an abberviated version in their advertising today. 

Jimmy Moreland became one of the chain's first franchise owners, and took over as chief executive of the chain when Florida Capitol bought it from Caddell in 1970. The next decade saw the company expand from 17 stores to almost 80 locations in five states. Increased competition from national chains forced the closure of numerous locations through the 1980s.

During that period, franchisee Benny LaRussa, a career grocer, began expanding his operating territory from a single location he had operated since the 1960s. In 1979, LaRussa purchased a franchise territory of 13 Jack's stores. From then until 1988 he expanded his territory to 33 stores, almost all of the locations still in business. In 1989, LaRussa purchased sole franchise rights for the Jack's concept. He also supplies Jack's and many area Subway restaurants with his Southeastern Food Merchandisers wholesale grocey business.

Another longtime franchisee, Wayne Reaves, built the Anniston-area market back up with a cluster of stores owned by his Manna Enterprises.

By 2006 there were approximately 76 Jack's locations across four states, mostly company-owned. Jack's Family Restaurants, Inc. remains a privately-held company Manna Enterprises as its sole franchisee. The chain builds ties within the stores' communities, including elected officials, school and athletic leaders and other business owners. Each location has a hostess on staff to tend to dining room patrons. The typical Jack's restaurant makes 45% of its revenue at the lunch hour and 35% from breakfast service. Its customer base is older than the average fast-food chain.

The original Jack's in Homewood was recently renovated and, since the construction of SoHo Square, occupies a newly-privileged spot directly in front of the new Homewood City Hall. Jack's corporate headquarters are at 124 West Oxmoor Road in Homewood.

Trademark design

Jack's restaurants were originally walk-up stands with a slanted roof and vertical orange and yellow stripes on each side. The original signs featured "Jack's" in five individual white rectangles with the word "Hamburgers" on a separate sign underneath. In the late '60s, the chain began converting their walk-up stands to full, dine-in restaurants. Most upgraded restaurants featured faux stone walls. In the mid '70s Jack's began using new signage featuring the name written on an angle in white inside a red circle; the word "Hamburgers" was dropped. In the early 2000's, Jack's changed the logo from the original, all capital font to a mixed-case font. It still appears on the familiar red circle, but the circle is smaller so that the text extends outside of it.

Current Greater Birmingham locations

Former Greater Birmingham locations

This list is incomplete.

References

  • Hayes, Jack (January 28, 2002) "Jack's: Service with a smile brightens fast-food chain's future as it re-emerges as a Southeastern force." Nation's Restaurant News.
  • Jack's Hamburgers at Birmingham Rewound

External links

Retrieved from "http://bhamwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Jack%27s&oldid=23465"