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Bojangles was founded in 1977 in Charlotte, North Carolina by Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas.
They were seasoned restaurant operators who saw an opportunity to create a unique fast food restaurant.
Their vision was built on three key ingredients:
The cornerstone of their menu became their boldly seasoned fried chicken and their signature buttermilk biscuits.
The biscuits famously require 49 individual steps to make perfectly.
This set the foundation for Bojangles' reputation as a beloved Southern-style chicken franchise.
Bojangles' expansion began rapidly, with its first franchised restaurant opening in 1978, just one year after the company's founding.
The 1980s marked a period of significant growth for Bojangles when it was acquired by Horn & Hardart Company of New York, leading to rapid expansion. They even purchased a Florida-based Biscuits chain.
Bojangles became a folk hero during a crisis in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo struck the Carolinas.
While most fast-food chains shuttered their doors—Bojangles' restaurants remained open—providing food to affected communities.
After the hurricane, Bojangles' reputation shot to the moon.
In the mid-2000s, Bojangles began expanding into non-traditional locations, starting with its first college campus restaurant at Central Piedmont Community College in 2005.
The company then opened its first airport location in 2008 at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Becoming the go-to fried chicken chain in Charlotte.
Bojangles deepened its connection to Southern culture and sports in 2012 by becoming the title sponsor of the NASCAR race "Bojangles' Southern 500”.
Eight years later, in 2020, the company further strengthened its ties to NASCAR by partnering with popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., marking Bojangles' first major celebrity endorsement.
Bojangles experienced significant milestones in its growth and corporate structure over the years.
The company reached a major expansion landmark in 2014 with the opening of its 600th restaurant in its hometown of Charlotte, an event significant enough to warrant the mayor's presence.
While an initial attempt to go public in 1994 was unsuccessful, Bojangles finally achieved this goal in 2015, raising an impressive $372 million in its IPO.
Throughout its history, the company has shown ambition for international growth, establishing locations in countries like Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, and even China.
In a slight branding shift, Bojangles modernized its image in 2020 by officially dropping the apostrophe from its name.
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