Jack In The Box quietly rolled out a new burger, the Smashed Jack Burger for a pre-test launch earlier this month…before a later, nationwide release in late February/early Spring.
The chain didn’t expect the reception they received, and ended up selling 70,000 Smashed Jack’s in one day alone. They sold out of supplies in two weeks, and are now focusing on re-stocking locations for the approaching official launch date…so they can meet the anticipated heavy demand when the time comes.
Ryan Ostrom, chief marketing officer of the chain spoke on the new burger, and the reception at a recent media event. He said in regards to the quiet test launch of the new burger:
“No marketing, no advertising, we just put it on the menus. We couldn’t keep it in stock, we couldn’t keep it on the shelves. We unfortunately failed on this soft launch, which we did not think was going to happen.”
Smashed Jack Burger
The Smashed Jack Burger is as the name implies, of the popular smashed-variety that has been trending in restaurants lately. It’s the biggest patty ever put out by Jack In The Box, and it features a 1/4th pound loose-grind seasoned beef patty, two slices of American cheese, Boss Sauce (a Thousand Island style-sauce), pickles, and onions on a Brioche bun.
The new “premium” burger isn’t cheap, however, as it costs $8. And surprisingly, it hasn’t deterred customers from going ape for the Smashed Jack.
Bacon Double Smashed Jack
The Bacon Double is a variation of the Smashed Jack but it contains two beef patties, and includes the addition of bacon.
Ostrom continued:
“We’re just making sure we have enough in store. Will we? We don’t know yet. It depends on the passion for this burger. We’re predicting strong results from it. We hope our stores can stay in stock. They might not. And if it happens again, then we’ll have to figure out another plan and make more.”
Jack In The Box is also testing a new breakfast item, Chicken & Waffles, in Bakersfield, CA. It comes with two regular Crispy-Fried Chicken Strips, and three waffles in the form of handheld sticks. One serving comes with two dipping sauces, syrup, and a ranch dip. It’s still in the testing phase, and without a dedicated nationwide release date set but it’s just a matter of time until they announce it…
With the success of the Smashed Jack Burger’s soft launch, the chain is likely to investigate keeping it permanently on the menu…unless they can’t keep the ingredients stocked faster than they can sell them. At which point, it might be like McDonald’s McRib, an annual “event”.
