Jack in the Box Inc. JACK recently awarded seven development agreements to open 47 new restaurants. With this initiative, the company will boost presence in existing markets including Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston as well as new ones like Salt Lake City and Louisville.Moreover, the company stated expansion plans with the involvement of veteran multi-unit franchisees like David Beshay (one of the brand’s largest operators). The franchisee expects to open at least 30 additional locations within the next 5-8 years. It is worth mentioning that the company awarded 23 development agreements (year to date) to build 111 stores over the next several years.With respect to the development agreements, Darin Harris, CEO of Jack in the Box, stated, “Our franchisees want to grow with Jack in the Box and there’s sizable demand for our brand in a variety of markets around the country. Current and prospective operators know the business opportunity available to them and they are motivated to grow their portfolios with Jack.”We believe that franchising a large chunk of its system will lower its general and administrative expenses and thereby boost earnings. In the long term, it will generate a higher return on equity by lowering capital requirements. This would also boost free cash flow and enhance shareholders’ return.Other UpdatesJack in the Box stated that it witnessed a rise of 14% year over year in system-wide same store sales through the end of its most recent third quarter.The company is also focused on the MK12 prototype (off-premise only), featuring a lane for drive-thru as well as a lane for online pickup and third-party delivery. The company stated that the new prototype will cut development costs 18-23% and pave the path toward more storage capacity and dual-assemble kitchens. It expects to open MK12 locations in Oklahoma and California in fiscal 2022. This along with emphasis on accessibility through digital solutions including its loyalty program ("The Jack Pack") is likely to boost the company in the upcoming periods.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchIn the past year, shares of Jack in the Box have gained 14.6% compared with the industry’s 14.5% growth.Zacks Rank & Key PicksJack in the Box currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Some other better-ranked stocks in the same space include Denny's Corporation DENN, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. CMG and Darden Restaurants, Inc. DRI. Denny's sports a Zacks Rank #1, while Chipotle and Darden carry a Zacks rank #2 (Buy).Denny's has a three-five year earnings per share growth rate of 9%.Chipotle's 2021 earnings are expected to increase 138.5%.Darden has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 15.3%, on average. Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It’s bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made. The only question is “Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?” Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today it’s free. Discover 7 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.Download FREE: How to Profit from Trillions on Spending for Infrastructure >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Janus Henderson Sustainable & Impact Core Bond ETF (JACK): Free Stock Analysis Report Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG): Free Stock Analysis Report Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI): Free Stock Analysis Report Denny's Corporation (DENN): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research