With two locations in town, Jack in the BoxƵor better known as the less savory nickname by which people call it, a name I canƵt say in the paper Ƶ has been in Victoria since 1976. From parking lot brawls to crispy egg rolls and mini tacos, the fast food chainƵs second location in Victoria on E Rio Grande Street has seen it all.

The restaurantƵs first location in Victoria at 2202 N. Navarro St. (currently the home of DoubleDaveƵs Pizzaworks) was a part of the infamous ƵFast Food AlleyƵ down North Navarro Street in the late 1970s. Years later, the restaurant moved down the road to itƵs current location in the Northcross Shopping Center at 5229 N Navarro St.

Later, in 2008, the business expanded across town to Houston Highway but now, after 17 years, the Jack in the Box location at 1508 E Rio Grande St. officially closed its doors this past month.

This closure comes as the fast food chain closes almost 200 of its underperforming locations across the country. Fast food sales are down across the board for many of the major fast food chains such as Burger King and McDonalds.

While crews work to empty out the fast food restaurant on Houston Highway, the restaurant on Navarro remains open with no official word on whether or not it will be closing its doors as well. On Jack in the BoxƵs website, the Navarro location is still listed as opened.

Already, residents have started theorizing what could move into the location before the former Jack in the Box building could even grow cold. ThereƵs no telling what could be moving in next, but since itƵs on Houston Highway, thereƵs hope that the building wonƵt remain empty for long.

The jack has sprung itƵs box, but itƵs hard to say whether or not the news of this closure has ƵpoppedƵ out and surprised any Victoria residents.

In this column called Ask Madison, Madison O’Hara, a Victoria native and Advocate reporter, answers questions readers have about anything and everything to do with the Crossroads. Email your question to Madison at askmadison@vicad.com or call her at 361 580 6558.

Madison can be reached by email at mohara@vicad.com.

Madison works at the Victoria Advocate as a multi-media journalist. She was born and raised here in Victoria.