Jack in the Box tests changes in decor
Published 9:00 pm Sunday, September 3, 2006
Jack in the Box Inc. has decided to test a new interior decor scheme on its 99 stores in the Puget Sound area, an early step toward overhauling the dining areas in its restaurants nationwide.
The stores’ new interiors replace vinyl booths with barstool seating and exchange fluorescent lights for hanging copper lamps. They also feature tile flooring, a warmer color scheme and a combination of painted brick and black metal surfaces.
The renovations are part of an image improvement campaign the San Diego-based fast-food chain began in 2003, said company spokeswoman Kathleen Finn.
Eventually the company would like to renovate its stores in other markets, but it hasn’t determined what aspects of the trial design it will reuse or when the other renovations might begin.
The company conducted an earlier trial run of the design on a smaller group of stores in Waco, Texas, but the Puget Sound market is the largest one it has tested the design on so far. By next month, it plans to have finished renovations on all of the stores in the Puget Sound area.
“We really just wanted to make the interiors more warm and inviting for customers,” Finn said. “We wanted to make it a place where people would like to spend some time.”
Some customers at the Jack in the Box on Everett Avenue and Broadway in Everett said the new design had definite advantages.
“It’s an improvement,” said Jeremy Gilbert of Stanwood. “Its good they got rid of the carpet. I kind of like it.”
The new look makes Jack in the Box stand out among fast food restaurants that look like they haven’t changed their decor for years, said Dan Conyers of Stanwood.
“It’s more modern,” Conyers said, pointing to a metalwork partition facing the counter. “It has the Ikea look going.”
Customers can’t help but notice the store’s innovative design even if they are first-time customers, said Harry McAfee of Gold Bar, who used to work as a maintenance manager at the Jack in the Box in Monroe.
“It hits your eye immediately when you open the door,” McAfee said.
He only complained about the limited space in front of the counter where people wait for their orders.
“On a crowded day, I don’t know if it’d be good,” he said. “If it’s not crowded, it’s OK.”
Reporter Melissa Santos: msantos@heraldnet.com
