SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 19, 2026--
Jack in the Box (NASDAQ: JACK) is officially bringing matcha to the drive-thru. With the launch of its nationwide matcha beverage lineup, Jack in the Box becomes one of the first QSRs in the U.S. to feature matcha drinks on its menu, turning a café staple into an accessible, everyday option.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260219446634/en/
The burger joint known for its tacos is notorious for coloring outside the lines, and this all new introduction of matcha is just that. With the introduction of matcha, Jack in the Box is taking a more beverage-forward approach to innovation, inspired by global flavors and café culture.
“The Matcha Platform represents a different side of Jack in the Box innovation, it’s about expanding the flavor palate, and not just pushing indulgence for indulgence sake,” said Ciaran Duffy, Executive Chef at Jack in the Box. “While we’re known for bold, craveable food, we’re also focused on evolving with consumer tastes and where trends are headed, especially with younger Millennials and Gen Z.”
Unlike coffee or traditional shakes, matcha introduces a different set of culinary considerations and requires balance and consistency. For Jack, the opportunity was not just introducing a new ingredient, but engineering it in a way that guarantees it hits just right, every single time.
The all new Matcha Platform features two unique beverages made with real matcha selected to deliver consistent flavor, color and performance from cup to cup:
Matcha Iced Latte:
OREO® Matcha Shake:
“When we looked at matcha, the goal wasn’t to chase a hyper-niche or ceremonial product, it was to find a matcha that delivered consistent flavor, color, and performance at scale,” said Duffy. “From a culinary standpoint, that means selecting a matcha that holds up in milk-based beverages, integrates smoothly into our equipment, and still delivers that recognizable matcha character guests expect.”
The new matcha beverages are available now nationwide at Jack in the Box restaurants, on the Jack app, or at jackinthebox.com, giving fans one more reason to hit the drive-thru.
About Jack in the Box Inc.
Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK), founded and headquartered in San Diego, California, is a restaurant company that operates and franchises Jack in the Box ®, one of the nation's largest hamburger chains with approximately 2,125 restaurants across 22 states. For more information, including franchising opportunities, visit www.jackinthebox.com.
Category: Corporate
The all new Matcha Platform features two unique beverages made with real matcha selected to deliver consistent flavor, color and performance from cup to cup.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's acting president on Thursday signed into law an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of politicians, activists, lawyers and many others, effectively acknowledging that the government has held hundreds of people in prison for political motivations.
The approval marks a reversal for authorities in the South American nation, who for decades have denied holding any political prisoners. It is the latest policy reversal following last month’s stunning U.S. military raid in the country’s capital, Caracas, to capture then-President Nicolás Maduro.
The measure is expected to benefit opposition members, activists, human rights defenders, journalists and many others who were targeted by the ruling party over the past 27 years. But families hoping for the release of their loved ones — some of whom have been gathered outside detention facilities for weeks — say that acting President Delcy Rodríguez has failed to deliver on earlier promises to release prisoners.
In the days after Maduro’s Jan. 3 capture, Rodríguez’s government announced it would release a significant number of prisoners. However, relatives and human rights watchdogs have criticized the slow pace of releases and the restrictive conditions under which many have been placed after leaving prison.
The new law was not a prerequisite for the government to free prisoners, but families held out hope that it could speed up releases. Some gathered outside detention facilities in Caracas grew impatient as hopes of immediate releases were disappointed Thursday night, retreating to their tents as Christian music played from a loudspeaker.
Venezuela-based prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal has tallied 448 releases since Jan. 8. The group estimates that more than 600 people are still in custody for political reasons.
Rodríguez, who proposed the bill late last month, signed the measure into law shortly after it was approved by the country's legislature.
She said during the signing that it showed that the country’s political leaders were “letting go of a little intolerance and opening new avenues for politics in Venezuela."
The bill’s purpose is to grant people “a general and full amnesty for crimes or offenses committed” during specific periods since 1999 that were marked by politically-driven conflicts in Venezuela, including “acts of politically motivated violence” in the context of the 2024 presidential election. The aftermath of that election led to protests and the arrest of more than 2,000 people, including minors.
The debate over the bill was suspended last week after lawmakers were unable to agree on some issues, including whether people who left the country to avoid detention can be granted amnesty, and laid bare the resistance from some ruling-party loyalists to seeing opposition members granted relief. Lawmakers on Thursday overcame the disagreement by allowing those abroad to have a lawyer seek amnesty on their behalf instead of forcing them to return to Venezuela to request the relief in person.
Once someone abroad has filed a request for amnesty, the law shields them from arrest when they return to the country to appear in court for a ruling on their request.
“It's not perfect, but it is undoubtedly a great step forward for the reconciliation of Venezuela,” opposition lawmaker Nora Bracho said in the debate. “It will undoubtedly alleviate the suffering of many Venezuelans.”
People convicted of human rights violations, war crimes, murder, drug trafficking and corruption do not qualify for amnesty, nor do people “who are being prosecuted or may be prosecuted or convicted for promoting, instigating, soliciting, invoking, favoring, facilitating, financing, or participating in armed or forceful actions against” Venezuela “by foreign states, corporations or individuals.” That could leave out members of the opposition who have supported Trump’s policy toward Venezuela.
General amnesty has long been a central demand of Venezuela’s opposition and human rights organizations, but they have viewed the proposal with cautious optimism and raised several concerns about eligibility and implementation.
The law was criticized Thursday by some members of the opposition, including Pedro Urruchurtu, international relations director for opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laurate María Corina Machado.
Urruchurtu has lived in exile since May, when he and other Machado staffers left the Argentine diplomatic compound in Caracas, where they had sheltered for more than a year to avoid arrest. He rejected the law's requirement that exiles return to Venezuela and appear in court.
“A true amnesty doesn’t require laws, but rather will, something that is lacking in this discussion,” Urruchurtu said on X. "It is not only an invalid and illegitimate law, but also a trap to buy time and revictimize those persecuted."
Some relatives of prisoners called on Trump to pressure Venezuela's government into freeing their loved ones.
“From the beginning, they have been liars, deceivers and mockers,” Marielis Guzmán said of Venezuelan authorities while standing outside a prison in Caracas on Thursday. “What the Venezuelan state has done is abuse its power.”
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, center, presides over a session debating an amnesty bill in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Crisitian Hernandez)
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez presides over a session debating an amnesty bill in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Crisitian Hernandez)
An activist protests outside the United Nations office for the release of what demonstrators consider to be political prisoners in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Barbara Bracho, left, mother of Gilberto Bracho, is embraced by Zoraida Gonzalez, mother of Miguel Estrada, both of whom consider their sons to be political prisoners, protest for their releases outside the United Nations office in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
People who consider their detained family members to be political prisoners call for their releases outside the United Nations office in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
People who consider their detained family members to be political prisoners protest for their releases outside the United Nations office in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
