8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT


                         PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


      Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 17, 2003
                               ------------------



                              JACK IN THE BOX INC.

             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)




       DELAWARE                   1-9390                   95-2698708
- -----------------------     -------------------- -------------------------------
(State of Incorporation)      (Commission File   (I.R.S. Employer Identification
                                   Number)                  Number)



9330 BALBOA AVENUE, SAN DIEGO, CA                       92123
- --------------------------------------------      ------------------
(Address of principal executive offices)              (Zip Code)


        Registrant's telephone number, including area code (858) 571-2121
                                 --------------



ITEM 7.       FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
              ---------------------------------

(c)           Exhibits.
              ---------

Exhibit
Number       Description
- -------      -----------
99.1         Press release of Jack in the Box Inc. issued September 17, 2003


ITEM 12.      DISCLOSURE OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION

         On September 17, 2003, Jack in the Box Inc. issued a press release
         about the Jack in the Box Inc. strategic plan and first-quarter and
         fiscal 2004 guidance. The press release is furnished as Exhibit 99 and
         attached hereto.

         Jack in the Box Inc. will conduct a conference call on September 17,
         2003 at 9:00 a.m. PT to review the Jack in the Box Inc. strategic plan
         and first-quarter and fiscal 2004 guidance. Investors can hear this
         conference call live by visiting the Jack in the Box home page at
         www.jackinthebox.com. Access the Jack in the Box home page at least 15
         minutes prior to the call in order to download and install any
         necessary audio software. Investors can hear replays of the conference
         call by visiting www.jackinthebox.com and clicking on the conference
         call link.







                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.




                                               JACK IN THE BOX INC.


                                               By: JOHN F. HOFFNER
                                                   ---------------------------
                                                   John F. Hoffner
                                                   Executive Vice President
                                                   Chief Financial Officer
                                                   (Principal Financial Officer)
                                                   (Duly Authorized Signatory)


Date:  September 17, 2003

EX-99

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

   Jack in the Box Inc. Announces Plan to Re-Invent the Jack in the
    Box-R- Brand; Provides First-Quarter and Fiscal-2004 Guidance


    SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 2003--Recognizing that
consumers want a higher standard of fast food, Jack in the Box Inc.
(NYSE: JBX) today announced a three-to-five year program to re-invent
the Jack in the Box(R) restaurant brand through innovative,
quantum-leap initiatives to move its menu, service and restaurant
facilities to a new level of quality in the industry.
    "During the last several years, our restaurant segment has felt
the impact of a soft economy and price wars," noted Robert J. Nugent,
chairman and CEO. "It has also been greatly affected by a shift in
consumer expectations toward higher-quality food, improved service and
a more enjoyable atmosphere. To achieve long-term earnings growth, we
must address these trends and set a new industry standard of
restaurant experience, which will include enhancements to drive-thru
service, a convenience available only in the quick-serve category.
    "Re-inventing the Jack in the Box brand is now the centerpiece of
our current strategic plan to become a national restaurant company,"
he added. "During fiscal 2004 and 2005, we will continue to open new
Jack in the Box restaurants and add franchise conversions, but at a
slower pace as we develop and test brand re-invention. We will not
actively seek new acquisitions as we continue to rapidly grow our new
fast-casual subsidiary, Qdoba Mexican Grill(R), and expand our
convenience-store concept, Quick Stuff(R)."
    The company announced that it has already completed or initiated
the following key elements of the Jack in the Box brand re-invention
effort:

    --  Construction of a new Innovation Center that will support
        product marketing, research and development, and quality
        assurance.

    --  Working in collaboration with culinary experts, including both
        the Center for Culinary Development, and Perspectives Inc.,
        the company has developed a pipeline of new premium products
        for fiscal 2004 and beyond.

    --  Expansion of its customer base to include more women and
        consumers older than the current 18-34 year-old male target.

    --  Successful introduction of Jack's Ultimate Salads(TM), a
        premium line of entree salads.

    --  Completion of a re-image design, both interior and exterior,
        in conjunction with prominent design firm, Brand Architecture,
        which will more fully incorporate the company's proprietary
        brand spokesman, "Jack," into the restaurant experience.

    --  Preliminary design development of a new restaurant prototype.

    --  Reduced reliance on discounting.

    --  Added conveniences, such as a more sophisticated point-of-sale
        (POS) system that permits credit/debit card purchases,
        resulting in higher check amounts.

    --  A product-deletion initiative that refocuses the menu on
        premium items and that simplifies kitchen procedures to
        support faster and more consistent service.

    --  Improved mystery-guest program that can better assess the
        restaurant experience from a guest point of view.

    --  Development of new recruiting tools and rollout of
        computer-based training in the restaurants.

    "With our strong management team, our unique position of being
predominantly company-operated, and the support of our franchise
partners, I am confident in our ability to re-invent the
Jack in the Box brand and become a leader of significant change in our
industry," Nugent said.

    First-Quarter and Fiscal-2004 Guidance

    Consistent with its normal practices, and following its annual
budget and strategic plan review with its board of directors, the
company provided initial earnings guidance for first-quarter and
fiscal year 2004. For the 53-week year, the company expects to earn
$1.68 per diluted share, down from its forecasted earnings per share
of $2.04 in fiscal 2003, and consensus estimates of $2.16. The company
expects the additional 53rd week to contribute approximately 1 cent to
its earnings-per-share estimate. For the first quarter, diluted
earnings per share are expected to be 53 cents versus 56 cents last
year.
    The primary reasons for the difference between current
earnings-per-share estimates versus consensus estimates are as
follows, in approximate amounts: reduction in gains/fees from
franchise conversions ($0.25); slowing of new unit growth rates to
conserve capital and support brand re-invention ($0.06); incremental
costs associated with relocation to a new Innovation Center ($0.05);
fixed asset write-offs associated with brand re-invention market tests
($0.05); and incremental increases in pension and insurance costs
($0.21). These factors are expected to be partially offset by an
increase in same-store sales of 2.0-2.5 percent, approximately 1
percent higher than preliminary analysts' estimates, based on a
stronger line-up of new product introductions throughout the year.
    The company expects that over the next two years, as it invests in
brand re-invention, both new unit and earnings growth will be slowed.
Subsequently, as these significant new initiatives are rolled out, the
company expects to strengthen its unit economics and returns on
capital, re-accelerate new unit growth and establish a long-term
earnings-per-share growth-rate target in excess of 15 percent.
    The other primary assumptions on which 2004 earnings guidance is
based are as follows, in approximate amounts:

    --  65 new Jack in the Box restaurants versus 90 in 2003,
        reflecting a slower rate of unit growth to conserve capital
        and focus on brand re-invention.

    --  No further expansion in the Southeast markets, to allow
        existing units to mature.

    --  15 of the 65 new units will be Quick Stuff convenience-store
        sites, bringing total Quick Stuff units at fiscal year-end
        2004 to 33.

    --  38 new company and 69 new franchise Qdoba units, bringing
        total units at fiscal year-end 2004 to 71 and 148,
        respectively.

    --  $23 million in other revenues from approximately 35-40
        franchise conversions versus $31 million from 36 conversions
        projected in 2003, primarily reflecting differences in the
        sales and cash flows of restaurants being sold and
        significantly more challenging financing market conditions,
        which negatively impact restaurant valuations.

    --  Total revenues of $2.2 billion.

    --  Gross profit rate of 17.2 percent of revenues versus 17.9
        percent projected in 2003, primarily attributed to the
        reduction in franchise gains and fees.

    --  SG&A rate of 11.6 percent of revenues versus 11 percent
        projected in 2003, primarily due to cost increases for
        pension, insurance and Innovation Center relocation. Excluding
        these factors, as well as the full-year effect of absorbing
        Qdoba, SG&A expense rate for fiscal 2004 would be projected at
        approximately 10.8 percent.

    --  Restaurant operating margin of 16.4 percent of sales, the same
        as projected in 2003.

    --  37 million average shares outstanding at year-end.

    --  $125 million in operating income and $75 million in
        depreciation/amortization, compared with $143 million and $70
        million, respectively, projected in 2003.

    --  $150 million in capital expenditures versus $135 million
        projected for 2003, primarily for Qdoba growth, brand
        re-invention re-imaging and the new Innovation Center.

    The primary assumptions upon which first-quarter guidance is based
are as follows, in approximate amounts:

    --  The opening of 10 new Jack in the Box restaurants compared
        with 22 in the first quarter of 2003.

    --  A 1.5-to-2.0 percent increase in Jack in the Box same-store
        sales compared with a 2.6 percent decrease in the first
        quarter of fiscal 2003, due to new product and promotion
        introductions in 2004 that are expected to offset continued
        economic weakness and competitive discounting activity.

    --  $42 million in distribution and other sales versus $28.1
        million in the first quarter of this year, due to higher fuel
        revenues from co-branded sites and additional distribution to
        Qdoba restaurants.

    --  12 Jack in the Box restaurant conversions to franchises versus
        9 in the first quarter this year, producing approximately $6
        million in other revenues compared with $8.3 million in 2003.

    --  $663 million in total revenues versus $613 million in the
        first quarter of this year.

    --  Gross profit rate of 17.6 percent of revenues compared with
        18.4 percent in the first quarter of 2003, due primarily to a
        reduction in other revenues and a decrease in restaurant
        operating margin related to higher costs for insurance and the
        new POS system.

    --  SG&A expense rate of 11.6 percent of revenue compared with
        11.5 percent in 2003.

    --  Income tax rate of 38 percent, the same as the first quarter
        of 2003.

    --  Weighted average shares outstanding of 37 million versus 37.7
        million in 2003.

    --  Capital expenditures of approximately $45 million compared
        with $22.4 million in 2003.

    --  Operating income of $39 million and depreciation/amortization
        of approximately $22 million, compared with $42 million and
        $21 million, respectively, in the first quarter of 2003.

    --  The rate of earnings-per-share decline in the first quarter is
        not as great as that for the full year, primarily because the
        SG&A cost increases expected in 2004 for pension, insurance
        and Innovation Center moving costs will negate savings from
        the Profit Improvement Program put into effect in the latter
        part of 2003.

    About Jack in the Box Inc.

    Jack in the Box Inc. (NYSE: JBX) operates and franchises
Jack in the Box and Qdoba Mexican Grill restaurants in 30 states
combined. Jack in the Box is the nation's first major drive-thru
hamburger chain, with more than 1,900 restaurants. Qdoba Mexican Grill
is an emerging leader in fast-casual dining, with nearly 100
restaurants. With headquarters in San Diego, Jack in the Box Inc. has
more than 44,000 employees. For more information, visit
www.jackinthebox.com and www.qdoba.com.

    Safe Harbor

    This news release contains forward-looking statements about, among
other items, the company's brand strategies, marketing, menu, image
and operational initiatives, growth plans, projected earnings, sales,
including same-store sales trends, revenues, costs and expenses,
including write-offs associated with market tests and other brand
re-invention expenses, food and packaging, costs associated with the
rollout of a POS system, pension, insurance, and utilities expenses,
sales of franchises, franchise conversions, profits, tax rates, and
shares outstanding. These forward-looking statements are subject to
risks and uncertainties. The statements reflect management's current
expectations regarding future events.
    The following are some of the factors that could cause the
company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed in
the forward-looking statements: the effect of competition, including
pricing, marketing and operational initiatives and new products
introduced by competitors; the availability and cost of food
ingredients, labor, utilities, healthcare expenses, workers'
compensation and other insurance, and real estate; increases in
expenses related to technology, equipment upgrades and moving; the
company's ability to accurately assess consumer desires and trends;
consumer acceptance of changes in facilities, image and services,
success of the company's new products; the effect of product
deletions; delays in the opening of restaurants, of the Innovation
Center and of franchisee completion of facility changes; the
availability of financing on terms satisfactory to franchisees and
potential franchisees; timely payment of franchisee obligations due
the company; the attractiveness of the company's franchise offerings;
the continuation of franchise conversions; adverse weather conditions
and business, economic and other local or national conditions or
events which affect consumer confidence and spending patterns;
consumer health concerns about fast food in general or the company's
products specifically; the effect of publicity regarding the company
or the restaurant industry in general; changes in government
regulations; changes in accounting standards, policies and practices;
changes in effective tax rates; potential variances between estimated
and actual liabilities; effects of legal claims; the possibility of
unforeseen events affecting the industry in general and other risk
factors listed from time to time in the company's reports filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements about the company's
past performance are not necessarily indicative of its future results.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as the result of new information,
future events or otherwise.


    CONTACT: Jack in the Box Inc., San Diego
             Karen Bachmann, Vice President, Corporate Communications
             858/571-2229
             karen.bachmann@jackinthebox.com
             www.jackinthebox.com