Jack in the Box to shutter 40 stores

Jack in the Box Inc. plans to close 40 underperforming corporate stores across seven states, mostly in the Southeast and Texas, by next week.

The restaurants were not meeting acceptable levels of return on investment and other key operating performance metrics, the company said in a statement Wednesday. They are scheduled to close before the end of the company’s fiscal year, which is Oct. 3.

"These restaurant closures are expected to have a positive impact on our future earnings, cash flow and return on invested capital,"said Linda Lang, Jack in the Box's chairman, chief executive and president. "The decision to close underperforming restaurants reflects the company’s commitment to disciplined capital allocation and to ensuring we are maximizing both our physical assets and people resources.”