Leader in Chicken and Biscuits Accelerates Expansion Strategy in New Markets Outside the Southeast Region

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (January 17, 2024) – Bojangles, one of the nation’s leading franchises famous for its chicken, biscuits and tea, announced today that it achieved significant development success in 2023, adding 270 units to its growth pipeline and accelerating its expansion strategy in new markets. To meet evolving consumer preferences, the brand’s expansion strategy includes an updated restaurant design, a new staffing model and a streamlined menu with a focus on boneless chicken across three dayparts. In addition to building a strong pipeline, Bojangles opened 40 new restaurants in 2023 with 10 being in new markets.

“At Bojangles, we recognize the integral role that our franchisees play, and we are privileged to have both a strong group of existing operators who continue to reinvest in the brand and new franchisees that bring a great deal of experience to the table,” said Jose Armario, CEO of Bojangles. “We truly have something special, and I couldn’t be more excited about the direction our brand is heading. The demand for chicken continues to rise, and by executing our expansion strategy, we are bringing Bojangles chicken, biscuits and tea to more loyal fans and expanding our customer base, all while increasing our national presence in a relevant and contemporary way. It’s Bo Time!”

Bojangles’ expansion strategy was launched in 2021, introducing an all-new boneless chicken menu that delivers the bold, Southern flavors that only Bojangles can. The menu features the best of Bojangles, including the hand-breaded Bo’s Chicken Biscuit for breakfast and Bo’s Chicken Sandwich and Bo’s Chicken Tenders for lunch and dinner, with no bone-in chicken. The brand also introduced the Genesis building prototype, featuring an ergonomic design with digital menu boards, dual drive-thru lanes, and a new staffing model, all aimed at simplifying operations, reducing complexities in the kitchen, and enhancing the overall guest experience.

Bojangles’ new staffing model boasts a restructured team to better handle high-traffic volumes and streamline the guest experience with enhanced team training for optimal customer service, as well as outside order-takers and food runners for seamless drive-thru ordering.

To showcase the promising future of the enhanced concept, Bojangles invested in its own corporate locations that incorporate the new elements and worked closely with new franchisees to ensure success.

“We have been thrilled with the success and positive guest feedback on our new boneless chicken platform in expanded markets such as Dallas, Columbus, and Orlando. It’s an exciting new chapter for Bojangles, and we look forward to maintaining the momentum in the new year,” said Jim Cannon, Chief Development Officer at Bojangles. “Seeing our franchisees’ succeed in new markets is a true testament to Bojangles’ excellence and emphasizes the loyalty and commitment of our operators, who are willing to evolve with us at the pace we’re going.”

Bojangles’ development highlights from 2023 include:

  • Jeff Rigsby of BOJ of WNC, LLC, Bojangles largest franchisee, celebrated the opening of the first two of 15 planned restaurants in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. These new locations add to Rigby’s robust portfolio of over 100 Bojangles locations across the country, including in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

  • TravelCenters of America franchisee, LVP Restaurant Group, LLC Bojangles’ most recent multi-unit development agreement announced in July details the brand’s growth in a bustling new market by bringing 20 traditional units to Las Vegas, Nevada, and 10 non-traditional units to TravelCenters of America across regions in the West.

  • Growth Across Texas: Bojangles celebrated its highly anticipated openings across the Lone Star State and now has six company-owned and franchised locations operating in both the Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio markets.

Bojangles’ commitment to optimization and modernization has been a key success driver for the brand and its franchisees in implementing the expansion strategy across markets. Pairing streamlined kitchen operations, a new boneless chicken platform, and enhanced technologies has positioned the brand to continue emerging as a top contender in the chicken segment.

As Bojangles continues to grow in new markets, Bojangles expects to see its morning daypart maintain a strong performance. With nearly 40 percent of sales coming before most competitors even open their doors, the brand’s key differentiators continue to attract multi-unit operators across the U.S., including its six prototypes and iconic “Biscuit Theatre,” detailing the extensive, 49-step biscuit-making process made by Certified Biscuit Makers.

Bojangles continues to be a nationally recognized leader in the QSR space with accolades including being ranked #57 in Franchise Times’ Top 400, #43 in Technomic’s Top 500 Chains, as well as #32 in QSR Magazine’s Top 50 Fast Food Chains of 2021. Most recently, Bojangles ranked #115 in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 500, ranking #115 and one of the best chicken franchises.

Bojangles’ compounding success and record AUV of more than $2.2M has continued to position itself for further successful growth throughout 2024 and beyond. Bojangles is continuing to seek qualified franchisees to add to its growing brand portfolio amid its aggressive US expansion. Franchise opportunities remain in regions across the U.S., including the Southwest, Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and parts of the Southeast. Candidates should have restaurant and business experience, along with a minimum net worth of $1.0M and liquid capital of $500,000. For both traditional and non-traditional units, operators that meet preliminary qualifications can expect an investment ranging from $590,100 - $2,828,500. For more information on development opportunities with Bojangles, please visit https://www.bojangles.com/franchising/.

About Bojangles, Inc.
Bojangles, Inc. is a highly differentiated and growing restaurant operator and franchisor dedicated to serving customers high-quality, craveable food made from our Southern recipes. Founded in 1977 in Charlotte, N.C., Bojangles® serves menu items such as made-from-scratch biscuit breakfast sandwiches, delicious hand-breaded chicken, flavorful fixins (sides) and Legendary Iced Tea®. Currently, Bojangles has more than 800 systemwide restaurants in 17 states. Over the past several years, the brand has garnered noteworthy industry recognition including being named No. 4 in the chicken category by Entrepreneur Magazine, ranking #43 in Technomic’s Top 500 Chains, and #32 in QSR’s Top 50 Fast Food Chains. For more information, visit www.bojangles.com or follow Bojangles on Facebook, Instagram and X.