The Mandela Effect: Was There Really a Jack in the Box in Amarillo?

Have you heard of the Mandela Effect? You have probably experienced it yourself. What exactly is it? Well, it is when a "large group of people believes something happened when it really never did."

Need an example? I've got a big one: the famous line "Luke, I am your father." from the Star Wars movies. I feel we have all quoted that at some point in our lives. Only to find out it was never said in the movies. Never. All Darth Vader ever said was "I am your father." What a letdown.

Imagine what went through my mind when I came across what I figured out was the Mandela Effect playing out in real time....about something right here in Amarillo! .

Did We Have a Jack in the Box?

I came across a post in the Amarillo Restaurant Review page where someone asked why we Amarillo didn't have a Jack in the Box location.

Heck, I have asked this question countless times. If I had the money I would open one. I dream of that sourdough jack burger. Having a Jack in the Box would be a dream come true for many people here in Amarillo.

Jack in the Box in Amarillo: Was it All Just a Dream?

Since I love Jack in the Box, I was hooked. Reading the comments, I started seeing people say we might have had one at one point.

We had a couple back in the late 70’s or early 80’s. I believe they didn’t survive a food poisoning problem or something like that. I was super young so I don’t know what happened for sure - Marisa

But for every insistence that we did hae one, someone else would say definitely not.

 

Amarillo has never had a Jack in the Box - Kimberly

I kept following the thread because I am vested. Did we? Did we not? I have to know.

Kimberly, u are wrong and she is correct. It was located on western i40 area. The fact that people remember also remember that the owner of the 1 here and ones in lubbock were singularly owened. Amarillo location had incredibly bad sanitation issues and breakout of salmonella poisoning and were often closed bc of it. It finally led to the owners closing Amarillo's down. Early 90s or late 80s I believe - Oscar

If that wasn't enough, there were yet others who were ready to share their memories--or lack thereof.

I moved to Amarillo in 1973, and I don’t remember ever seeing a Jack in the Box. - Christine

Was it the actual restaurant? Or do you just remember the name?

Amarillo has never had a Jack in the box fast food place. We did have a Jack in the Box convenience store on Bell St. When they put in the overpass where Amarillo Blvd and Bell connect, it was torn down along with those horseshoe apartments that sat on the east side of Bell. There are now apartments there that cover where the store, the horseshoe apartments, and the drive in theater next to it were located. - Lisa

Back and forth, back and forth. Yes and no. Yes and no.:

There used to be... didn't do well and closed. - Katie

As hard as it is for me to believe a Jack in the Box wouldn't succeed here.....I have to get to the bottom of this.

Did we have a Jack in the Box here in Amarillo once upon a time, very long ago?

Let's solve this mystery. Was there truly ever once a Jack in the Box in Amarillo? Or is it all a Mandela Effect?