Jack hits the road with food truck
March 16, 2011
The growing food truck frenzy is no longer the sole province of cutting-edge chefs and budding restaurateurs looking to sell their culinary creations on the streets of major cities like San Diego. Recognizing the value of mobile marketing, well-known restaurant and fast-food chains are now entering the fray.
The latest entry is San Diego-based Jack in the Box, which plans to debut its tricked-out, 34-foot-long truck later this month with a limited menu of burgers, fries and tacos that will be cooked in its mobile kitchen.
Outfitted with a grill, fryer, toaster, fountain beverage dispenser and prep area, the truck will be used not only for community events and catered functions, but it will also be stationed in areas like the Gaslamp Quarter where nightclub and bar patrons looking for a quick bite to eat can grab a Jumbo Jack up until 2 a.m.
"It really came down to wanting to reach out to our guests in a new vehicle, literally,” said Terri Funk Graham, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Jack in the Box. “It’s really about connecting with your guests, and this is just one way to reach them in a place you’d otherwise not be able to.
“The truck will be going to promotional events like concerts and sporting events, or to the Gaslamp Quarter, Pacific Beach, the colleges, where there’s something happening in the community. So we’re connecting to them in their environment. It’s not like we’re pursuing every corner.”
Dubbed “Jack’s Munchie Mobile,” the truck will not likely be missed wherever it’s parked. The eye-popping design takes advantage of bold colors and fun illustrations of Jack in action, one of them depicting him wielding a spatula while driving a tiger- and polar bear-drawn chariot that’s pursuing a thunderbird clutching a takeout bag. Another shows Jack fending off snakes, one of which is devouring a shake.
“When we looked at the design, we looked at a few options, deciding what would Jack paint his truck to look like,” said Jen Kennedy, associate marketing manager. “We’re taking a nod from the ’70s when you would see the panel vans with the wizards on the side and intricate artwork, and we did something very similar.”
Jack in the Box just received the go-ahead from the county Department of Environmental Health on Wednesday and shortly thereafter did a test run demonstrating how a team of three employees will cook up frozen patties and assemble the burgers on sesame buns with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, mayo-onion sauce and ketchup. The truck’s first public appearance will be next Friday, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., in the Gaslamp Quarter, where it will be parked in a public lot. The precise location has not been decided upon yet.
Company officials would not reveal the cost of the vehicle, but a Sun Valley-based company that manufacturers catering and food trucks estimates the cost at around $200,000, including equipment and design. The company, Armenco, recently completed a fully outfitted truck for Sizzler, which has its 22-foot-long vehicle stationed five days a week at the Camp Pendleton Marine Base.
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Press Archive
2011
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October 14, 2011
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September 12, 2011
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