Robert O. Peterson

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Robert O. Peterson
Born
Robert Oscar Peterson

(1916-03-13)March 13, 1916
Jack in the Box restaurant chain
SpouseMaureen O'Connor (m. 1977)

Robert Oscar Peterson (March 13, 1916 – April 18, 1994) was an American businessman and philanthropist. As the founder of the

fast food restaurant
concept. He is credited with being the first to pair the drive-through window with an intercom system.

Personal life

He grew up in

UCLA with a degree in economics.[1] He was a naval intelligence officer during World War II.[2] He was married four times, notably (in 1977) to Maureen O'Connor, who went on to become the first female mayor of San Diego from 1985 to 1992; this was his only marriage not to end in divorce.[3] The former mayor was at his side when he died in 1994.[3] He had four children by his previous marriage to Lorraine Bhalla, none of whom went into the restaurant business.[1]

Restaurant career

Peterson entered the restaurant business in 1941 with a drive-in diner called "Topsy's" (later renamed "Oscar's"), located at 6270

Midway area. In 1951, he converted the Oscar's on El Cajon Boulevard into the first Jack in the Box,[4] a drive-through with the innovation of a two-way intercom that allowed one car to place an order while another car was being served. Other restaurants had previously offered drive-up window service, but Jack in the Box was the first major chain to make drive-through windows the focus of its operation.[5][6]
Since the concept was unfamiliar to most customers, the speaker (topped with the trademark clown) had a sign that announced "Pull forward, Jack will speak to you!"

Entrance to Peterson's home in Point Loma.

The Jack in the Box restaurant was conceived as a "modern food machine" and was designed by La Jolla master architect Russell Forester, who also designed Peterson's landmark home in

Point Loma in 1965.[7]

Peterson built the chain to over 300 locations. He renamed his company Foodmaker in 1960 and sold it in 1967 to Ralston-Purina. By that time, the "drive-thru" concept had become an industry standard.[3]

Later life

He spent the final 30 years of his life in philanthropy and civic improvement. He was a consistent patron of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, sponsoring research for many years, and donating the 96-foot diesel yacht Dolphin to the institution in 1973.[8] Peterson Hall at the University of California, San Diego is named after him.[9]

In 1984, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He battled the disease for the next 10 years until his death in 1994 at the age of 78.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b "San Diego Union-Tribune, June 20, 1984". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  2. OCLC 49900290
    .
  3. ^ a b c d Perry, Tony (April 20, 1994). "Robert O. Peterson, Founder of Jack in the Box Restaurants, Dies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  4. ^ "Timeline of San Diego History: 1930-1959". San Diego History Center. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  5. OCLC 13094135
    .
  6. ^ "Robert Peterson, Founded Jack In The Box Restaurants". Orlando Sentinel. April 21, 1994. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  7. ^ California Department of Parks and Recreation
  8. ^ Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  9. ^ "UCSD Facilities Information System, Peterson Hall". University of California, San Diego. January 7, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
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