Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits

Bojangles' Inc.
Public
Traded as NASDAQ: BOJA
Industry Food
Founded 1977
Founders Jack Fulk
Richard Thomas
Headquarters Charlotte, North Carolina
Number of locations
 600+[1]
Key people
 Clifton Rutledge (CEO)
Products Fast food, including fried chicken, biscuits, french fries
Owner Joel Kotyk
Website www.bojangles.com

Bojangles' Inc. is a Southeastern regional chain of fast food restaurants, specializing in mild cajun seasoning, fried chicken, and buttermilk biscuits. The company was founded in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1977 by Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas.[2]

History

Bojangles' opened its first location in Charlotte in 1977. The following year, the first franchised restaurant began operations.

Jack Fulk sold the Bojangles' concept to a now-defunct New York company, The Horn & Hardart Company,[3] in 1981.

Advertisement for Bojangles at Durham Athletic Park, North Carolina (1989)

During the time of Horn and Hardart's ownership the chain grew rapidly and expanded to 335 restaurants including 100 restaurants in Florida. Part of this growth was fueled by acquisitions including the Florida-based Biskits chain.

In 1990, Horn and Hardart sold most of its interest to Sienna Partners and Interwest Partners. The company was then headed by former KFC executive, Dick Campbell. In 1994 the company attempted a public offering. Dick Campbell was subsequently replaced by CEO Jim Peterson. The company was sold to a group of investors headed by former Wendy's executive Joe Drury and financed by FMAC in 1998.[4]

Bojangles' grew throughout the 1990s and 2000s, with the 300th location opening in 2003. The restaurant started its first college campus location on the grounds of Central Piedmont Community College in 2005.

Bojangles' was purchased once again in 2007 by Falfurrias Capital Partners,[5] a private equity firm. In August 2011, Falfurrias sold Bojangles' to Boston-based Advent International, another private equity firm, after a competitive bidding process with other investors.[6]

In 2012, Bojangles' began sponsoring the NASCAR race Bojangles' Southern 500, and opened another college campus restaurant at UNC Greensboro.[7]

The company opened its 600th restaurant on July 8, 2014, on Galleria Road in Charlotte with Charlotte mayor Dan Clodfelter cutting the celebratory ribbon.[8]

In April 2015, the company filed with the US regulator for an initial public offering of its common stock, expecting to raise $372 million.[9]

The company has restaurants in 11 states and the District of Columbia and three restaurants in Roatan Island, Honduras. At various times Bojangles' has franchised restaurants in Grand Cayman Island, Jamaica, Mexico, Ireland, and China, as well as restaurants on mainland Honduras.

Bojangles' serves Southern staples as diverse as fried chicken (tenders or bone-in pieces), mashed potatoes, green beans, and coleslaw. Among the restaurant's signature items are dirty rice (sausage and specially seasoned rice), chicken supremes (chicken strips), and Cajun pinto beans along with its signature biscuits and sweetened iced tea. The restaurant also produces its own signature dipping sauce, Bo Sauce.

Cheddar Bo, with cheddar cheese in a buttermilk biscuit, was available only in eastern North Carolina and Virginia. In January 2015, it was offered at 500 locations in the Southeastern United States for a limited time.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ It's Bo Time Again in Greenwood As Bojangles' Opens Its Second Restaurant in the Area
  2. ↑ "Contact". Bojangles'. Retrieved on October 1, 2012. "Support Center 9432 Southern Pine Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28273-5553"
  3. ↑ McKibben, William (October 4, 1982). "Bojangles'". The Talk of the Town. The New Yorker. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  4. ↑ "Chicken Franchise Spreads Its Wings". Greater Charlotte Biz. September 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-08-15.
  5. ↑ "Bojangles' Acquired". QSR Magazine. Sep 13, 2007.
  6. ↑ "Bojangles". Advent International. Archived from the original on 2014-01-25. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  7. ↑ "History of our famous Chicken 'n Biscuits restaurants". Bojangles'. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  8. ↑ Adams-Heard, Rachel. (2014, July 9). Bojangles' reaches a milestone: 600 stores. The Charlotte Observer: retrieved July 9, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Restaurant chain Bojangles' files for IPO" (Press release). Reuters. 7 April 2015.
  10. ↑ Blake, Casey (2015-01-03). "Answer Woman: Eagle Market Place delays? New Bo biscuit?". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
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