Florida Is Getting Its First Jack In The Box Restaurant

No, I know – it’s not In-N-Out. BUT In-N-Out HAS announced its first (almost) east coast location. So maybe there’s hope after all for Florida fast food lovers. If you’ve never been to a Jack-In-The-Box, it’s primarily a burger chain. But they also have pretty decent tacos and chicken sandwiches too. I lived in California for about 6 years and honestly, I went to Jack In The Box far more often than I did In-N-Out. In-N-Out locations always had lines that were too long and I’m impatient.

The biggest thing I remember about Jack In The Box was their creepy mascot. Their TV ads were nightmare fuel. But I liked their food, so it all evened out.

The west coast burger chain has announced plans to open up in both Florida and Arkansas, according to WESH. When I say it’s their first location, technically, it’s not. Florida apparently DID have Jack as a resident a long time ago but this will be the first time Jack In The Box has been in Florida in over three decades. So who’s getting one first? Sorry… it’s not Fort Myers

Lame pun intended. There’s no word yet on specifically where in Orlando this first JITB will be… or even when it’ll open. They say there will be just over a dozen locations opening between the two states, so hopefully Tampa isn’t far behind. [Source: WESH]

The Florida Strawberry Festival kicks off today in Plant City.

We've heard about Florida oranges, but the strawberry industry is huge in Florida too. In fact, Florida is the second-largest supplier in America of strawberries. Last summer, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law that the strawberry shortcake became the official dessert of Florida. The theme for this year's Strawberry Festival, "We Have a Winner!" celebrates that new law that went into effect July 1, 2022.

If the festival is named for strawberries, you better believe it will offer all the strawberries you could possibly get your fill of. From strawberry milkshakes, chocolate-covered strawberries, strawberry jam, cobbler, cream puffs, even strawberry brisket tacos!

There will be strawberry gifts, meet and greets with Mr. Berry & Miss Berry, the Florida Strawberry Festival’s official mascots and strawberry contests. And with any good festival, there's lots of rides too. There's plenty of free entertainment as well. And the lineup headlining acts is top notch too with a wide variety of genres. Some of the acts are sold-out, so if you're planning on going, make sure to check for ticket availability in advance. You can find more info here

The festival opens today and runs through March 12th from 10am-10pm daily. Admission is $10 for adults, children 6-12 are $5.

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