Bojangles to make tri-state area debut

Restaurant chain opening 10 locations in the Garden State

Jose Armario, chief executive officer, Bojangles (University of Miami Alumni Association, iStock)
Jose Armario, chief executive officer, Bojangles (University of Miami Alumni Association, iStock)

It’s Bo time in New Jersey, where Bojangles is setting up shop in the tri-state area for the first time.

The Southern fried chicken chain is set to open 10 locations in the Garden State, NJ.com reported. The expansion is part of a franchise development agreement that will see the North Carolina-based chain increase its presence in the Northeast.

There will be locations in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex and Union counties, according to NJ.com, but further information on opening dates and locations wasn’t clear.

Franchisee Dipak Patel told the outlet he believes “there is unlimited potential for the brand in the greater New York metropolitan region.”

The fried chicken chain was founded in 1977 and operates about 750 locations in 14 states. The company is making a big expansion push, opening 35 new restaurants in the first few months of the year.

The company has signed deals with multiple development agencies across the country, according to NorthJersey.com. It is set to open more than 100 new stores across the country.

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“There’s a lot of demand for Bojangles in the Northeast,” said Jose Costa, Bojangles’ chief growth officer, pointing to the PR tour Bo’s Chicken Sandwich took — by way of a branded food truck — around New York City last year.

Fried chicken is a commodity of consistent interest for diners in the tri-state area.

As Bojangles looks to increase its presence in the area, Chick-fil-A is planning on adding four locations on Long Island and one in Queens in the coming months. The Georgia-based chain debuted in New York City in 2015 and opened its first Brooklyn outpost three years later.

[NJ.com] — Holden Walter-Warner