After completing the sale of his Jack in the Box and Jamba Juice Hawaii/Guam businesses during the fourth quarter of 2022, Chris Scanlan, founder and managing partner of Blue Pacific Brands, is evaluating new franchise and license opportunities to develop food-service concepts in Hawaii, Guam and the continental United States. 

Scanlan’s new entity, Blue Pacific Brands, will focus on acquiring, operating and building in-demand food and beverage (F&B) brands with the goal of becoming category leaders with preferred-brand status.

“A brand is a lifestyle choice, and its equity is measured at every touch,” Scanlan says. “There are no shortcuts. It takes a talented team of committed people working together every day to build great brand experiences, and Blue Pacific Brands reiterates our corporate purpose accordingly.” 

Blue Pacific Brands also includes Scanlan’s business partner, Eddie Park, who first worked with Scanlan on Yum and Burger King restaurant brands before establishing Scanlan Management, LLC, with Scanlan in 2006. 

Seattle-based Jack in the Box franchisee PARS Group LLC acquired 28 Jack in the Box restaurants in Hawaii and two in Guam plus two locations in various stages of being developed and opened on Oahu and Guam. Miami-based Fresh Dining Concepts, the largest franchisee of Focus Brands, acquired 27 Jamba Juice locations in Hawaii plus four locations in various stages of being developed and opened on Oahu and Maui, including the brand’s first Hawaii drive-through-only location.

“The evolution of our Jack in the Box and Jamba brands was a successful 16-year labor of love,” Scanlan says. “I’m so proud of every member in our local team led by Donna Yano, who delivered world-class operations during the good and tough times. There has been a lot of learning and adapting along the way, especially during COVID-19, when our crew came together to keep our restaurants operating safely while serving great food. Meanwhile, we reinvested in our facilities, remodeling our dated units with local flair, neighborhood recognition and the latest technology.” 

At the time of sale in 2022, their combined brands had grown to more than $100 million in annual sales, about 1,500 employees and 61 restaurant units across the Hawaiian Islands and Guam, including a variety of drive-throughs, inlines and retail formats.

Scanlan says: “I’m truly grateful that both brands are in such great hands going forward under the leadership of Paul Urbina, franchise operator for PARS Group, and Kevin Bush, chief strategy officer of Fresh Dining Concepts.” 

“Blue Pacific worked hard to incorporate the local culture into its operations while keeping the core values of Jamba,” Bush says.

“Chris and his team have done excellent work over the years to build our brand in Hawaii and Guam and make it part of the local communities,” Tim Linderman, senior vice president and chief development officer of Jack in the Box Inc., says.

“Now with Blue Pacific Brands, we’re capitalized and looking for the next opportunity to leverage our expertise and resources,” Scanlan says. “We want to acquire F&B brands in either start-up or existing, turn-around or takeover phases with strong growth upside. The concept also needs to excite and enhance the communities it serves!”