Own a
Jack in the Box Franchise
in Indiana

Jack in the Box already operates in Indiana. Restaurants are serving Indianapolis today, and the brand's return to Chicagoland put new restaurants within a short drive of the northwest corner of the state. We are awarding markets across all of Indiana, with priorities in Indianapolis and the Indiana communities inside the Chicago DMA: Gary, Hammond, Merrillville, and Crown Point.

Indiana added about 49,000 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. If you have multi-unit or quick-service experience, there is room to build here.

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Growing Again

Indiana added about 49,000 residents between July 2024 and July 2025 and has grown 2.8 percent since April 2020, according to Census Bureau estimates. 

A $25.6 Billion Restaurant State

Indiana restaurants and foodservice generated $25.6 billion in sales in 2025 and rank as the state's third largest private employer, per the National Restaurant Association.

 A Brand Already Here

Jack in the Box restaurants are open and operating in Indianapolis today, and new Chicagoland restaurants have been opening just across the state line since 2025. 

Which Indiana Markets Are Open for Franchising? 

Our development team is awarding markets across the entire state of Indiana. The current priorities are Indianapolis and the Indiana side of the Chicago DMA: Gary, Hammond, Merrillville, and Crown Point. Fort Wayne, South Bend, Elkhart, Lafayette, and Terre Haute are open as well. We review every market for population, traffic patterns, and site availability before we award territory. 

Indianapolis

Jack in the Box restaurants already operate here, and the metro is home to more than two million people. Read our full Indianapolis market breakdown. 

 

Gary

Part of the Chicago DMA, sitting on the I-80/94 and I-90 corridors that carry traffic between Chicago and the rest of the Midwest. 

Hammond

A Chicago DMA city minutes from the Illinois line, close to the new Chicagoland restaurants that opened starting in 2025. 

Merrillville

Northwest Indiana's retail hub, positioned along I-65 and US-30 in Lake County. 

Crown Point

The Lake County seat, inside the Chicago DMA and connected to the I-65 corridor. 

Fort Wayne

Indiana's second largest city, anchoring the northeast part of the state along I-69 between Indianapolis and Michigan. 

South Bend / Elkhart

 Northern Indiana markets along the Indiana Toll Road (I-80/90), the main east-west route between Chicago and Ohio. 

Lafayette

On I-65 roughly 65 miles north of Indianapolis and about 100 miles south of Chicago, a fit for both stand-alone restaurants and our travel plaza formats. 

Terre Haute

 Western Indiana, at the crossing of I-70 and US-41. We are looking for QSR operators interested in multi-unit growth here.

 Not in Indiana? See every open state on our Available Markets page. 

Is Jack in the Box Actually Growing in Indiana Right Now? 

Yes, and you do not have to take my word for it. I work on the franchise development team, and here is the verifiable activity in and around Indiana as of July 2026.

  • Jack in the Box restaurants are open and operating in Indianapolis right now, serving the full menu 24/7.
  • In July 2024, the company announced its return to the Chicagoland market for the first time in four decades.
  • The first new Chicagoland restaurants began opening in 2025, starting in Joliet, with franchise development agreements signed for more.
  • Our Chicago market planning covers the full DMA, which wraps around Lake Michigan into northwest Indiana. That is why Gary, Hammond, Merrillville, and Crown Point are priority markets on this page.
  • Indiana sits between two of our active new-market pushes: Chicagoland to the northwest and Louisville, which opened in recent years, directly across the Ohio River from southern Indiana.
  • We evaluate every market before we award it, and we talk with operators one market at a time. Here is how our process

Why Is Michigan a Strong State for a Restaurant Franchise? 

Indiana pairs steady population growth with a large restaurant economy and an interstate network that feeds drive-thru traffic. The state posted its highest real GDP on record in 2025, and its restaurant industry supports more than 316,000 jobs. Those are the baseline conditions. What we review next is specific to each trade area. 

Start with the people. The Census Bureau put Indiana's population at 6,973,333 as of July 2025, up 2.8 percent from April 2020, with roughly 49,000 residents added in the most recent year alone. Median household income statewide was $70,051 in the 2019-2023 American Community Survey estimates. indiana-real-gdp-by-quarter

The economy holds up under the same scrutiny. Indiana's real GDP reached $422.4 billion in 2025, the highest on record and up 2.5 percent from 2024, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data. Manufacturing contributed the most of any industry at $114.6 billion, and real GDP per person came in at $60,600. Manufacturing runs on shift schedules. Our full menu is available all day, and our restaurants are built around the drive-thru, which is what our current store models are designed for.

The restaurant sector itself is large and established here. The National Restaurant Association counts 13,398 restaurant locations, 316,600 restaurant and foodservice jobs, and $25.6 billion in annual sales in Indiana, making the industry the state's third largest private employer.

Then there is the road network. Indiana's official motto is the Crossroads of America, and the label is literal: I-65, I-69, I-70, I-74, and the I-80/90 Toll Road all cross the state, connecting Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Columbus. High-visibility interstate corridors are exactly the site profile we look for.

Frequently Asked Questions About Franchising in Indiana

 Ready to Talk About Indiana? 

Cities and locations are awarded market by market. Tell us where you want to build.