Jack in the Box opened its first restaurant in San Diego in 1951 with a speaker-equipped drive-through design.
Robert O. Peterson founded the chain after developing a drive-in restaurant concept called Topsy’s Drive-In. The first Jack in the Box used a distinctive clown structure and an intercom system that allowed customers to order without waiting for a server to reach the car.
That design helped distinguish Jack in the Box from earlier drive-ins, where customers commonly ordered through carhops. The concept combined indoor seating with fast drive-through service and became an important part of the chain’s identity.
The restaurant’s name is often confused with the clown mascot, but the chain itself was named Jack in the Box from its beginning. Jack in the Box expanded through company restaurants and franchised locations, eventually becoming one of the major American quick-service brands.