Jack in the Box's first Chicago-area location in decades opens

PLAINFIELD, Ill. - Jack in the Box has returned to the Chicago area after a 40-year hiatus, opening its first new location earlier this week.

What we know:

Jack in the Box’s first Chicagoland restaurant opened Monday in Plainfield at 2101 Illinois Route 59. The fast-food chain left the region in the 1980s, but now plans several new locations in the coming months.

Customers at the new Plainfield location can order burgers, chicken sandwiches, those tiny tacos, breakfast items, curly fries, dessert and more from 4 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Fridays and from 7 a.m. to midnight every other day of the week.

Dig deeper:

Another Jack in the Box is set to open this month in Countryside on South La Grange Road, and in August in Tinley Park and New Lenox. Other reported locations include Carol Stream, Lake in the Hills and Naperville.

As for Chicago, a Jack in the Box is set to open in September on South Cicero Avenue.

What they're saying:

The expansion is part of a broader plan by the company to reestablish its presence in the Chicago market.

"This strategic expansion into Chicago allows us to not only satisfy long-standing customer demand for our brand, but also to become a key member in the region’s thriving restaurant scene," former CEO Darin Harris said in an earlier statement. "We’re excited to bring our unique menu where customers can order any item at any time – day or night – and we’re confident Jack in the Box will quickly become a favorite local destination."