Darin Harris has resigned as CEO of Jack in the Box, the company said on Monday.
The San Diego-based company said that Harris resigned to take a “new position outside of the restaurant industry.”
Lance Tucker, the fast-food operator’s CFO, was named “interim principal executive officer,” effective Monday. Harris will remain a consultant with Jack in the Box through March 14.
“The board is confident in Lance’s ability to build upon the existing foundation in a way that balances our growth and financial goals, while ensuring that the company remains competitive in the rapidly evolving quick-service restaurant landscape,” David Goebel, chairman of Jack in the Box Inc., said in a statement.
Harris leaves after five years overseeing Jack in the Box, a period that saw the company recover from the pandemic, acquire fellow California-heavy chain Del Taco, and begin adding new locations for the first time in decades.
But same-store sales at flagship Jack in the Box, along with Del Taco, have struggled more recently as low-income consumers have cut back on spending. Same-store sales for both chains declined in each of the first three calendar quarters of 2024—the company’s fiscal second through fourth quarters.
Tucker has been CFO since Jan. 13, though he served in the same role from 2018 through 2020. He spent more than 20 years in various corporate finance roles and was the CFO of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. owner CKE Restaurants from 2020 through 2022. He also spent 14 years with Papa Johns.
Dawn Hooper, controller with Jack in the Box, will act as interim CFO while Tucker is overseeing the chain.
Jack in the Box leadership has apparently been in flux of late. COO Tony Darden left in November as part of a leadership restructuring. Ryan Ostrom, chief marketing and digital officer, assumed operations as part of his job and was named chief customer and digital officer. And then Tucker was named CFO in January.
Darin Harris | Photo courtesy of Jack in the Box.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.