The Untold Truth Of Bojangles’

The Untold Truth of Bojangles’ is a fascinating book about a small restaurant company in the South that has won the hearts and stomachs of millions of people.

From its humble roots in a small restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1977, Bojangles has grown into a chain of over 750 popular fast-food restaurants in 11 states.

But what’s so great about Bojangles’?

In this piece, we’ll find out the truth about Bojangles’ Menu and look at its history, culture, and growth.

Bojangles’ biscuits are made from scratch every 20 minutes

Let’s start by saying that we love fast food. Salt, fat, MSG?

Let’s do it. But one thing you don’t usually expect from a fast food place is a high-quality product made from scratch.

The whole point of fast food is to save as much time as possible, so it doesn’t make sense to make food from scratch when it would be so much easier to just throw a frozen product in the oven.

Bojangles’, on the other hand, is setting a different example. No, the shops aren’t getting frozen biscuit disks that they can just heat up before serving. They make their biscuits fresh on the spot, and every 20 minutes, crew members put a new tray of biscuits in the oven.

Eric Newman, who was then the Executive Vice President of Bojangles’, told the Nashville Post in 2011 that biscuits are an art form. In our businesses, it’s a very respected job.

It’s a complicated and tricky thing to do.” The 48-step process takes a lot more time and work than buying biscuits already made, but it’s a big reason why the chain has been so successful.

Bojangles’ chicken is never frozen

Also, it’s not just the biscuits. For all the hard work that goes into making biscuits, the company knows it needs to use other fresh, tasty products.

Why would you put a piece of dry, frozen chicken on a bun that you made yourself?

That’s why Bojangles’ chicken is never cold. It is still fresh when it gets to the store. Then, all of the cooking is done right there.

First, the chicken is marinated for 12 hours. This is possibly why the chicken at Bojangles’ is always so tasty. But that’s not the end of the hard work. After the marinating, the breading takes eight hours and is done by hand.

The chicken is then cooked right there in the kitchen. No one will reheat a dry chicken patty here.

It’s also known for its unique taste, which comes from a bit of cayenne in the breading. But even if you don’t like your chicken to be too spicy, there are a lot of choices on the menu that are sure to please you.

Bojangles’ once had a location in New York City

Southern restaurants that move into Yankee country aren’t always welcomed, especially by people who live in New York City. They don’t always want more fast food places to open up in their neighborhoods.

Chick-Fil-When A came to New York City in 2018, a harsh story in The New Yorker said “the brand’s arrival here feels like an invasion” and “the air smelled fried.” But when Bojangles’ made the jump to New York in 1982, the tone from the same outlet wasn’t nearly as negative.

Instead, it seemed to celebrate the opening of the restaurant, even though the food wasn’t typical of New York.

But, alas, maybe a fast food place with fried chicken and biscuits wasn’t what New Yorkers wanted at the time.

Since the Manhattan site closed in 2007, New Yorkers who want to eat some Bojangles’ fried chicken and biscuits now have to take a road trip. The store now has a location in Reading, Pennsylvania, which is the most northern one.

Bojangles’ was born and raised in the Carolinas

As you might think, Bojangles’ is based in the South. Not only are most of the chain’s stores in this part of the country, but this is also where it all began. Co-founders Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas were not exactly new to the fast food business.

They had a clear idea of how they wanted their business to look, and they set out to make it happen. In 1977, Charlotte, North Carolina, was where the first Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n’ Biscuits opened.

It didn’t take these two business partners long to grow their companies. Fulk and Thomas opened their first franchise just one year after they opened their first shop. Then, in 1981, Bojangles’ reached a huge milestone:

it had the biggest average sales of any restaurant in the country. Bojangles’ has managed to grow even after all of these successes. Even though it has stores all over the South, 318 of those stores, which is a huge number, are in North Carolina.

80% of its revenue is from take-out and drive-thru customers

Fast food restaurants are becoming less and less common places to eat these days. Most fast-food restaurants don’t have what most people would call an inviting environment.

This is especially true as people’s ideas about fast food, its health effects, and its overall appeal change. Just think about how McDonald’s PlayPlaces have gone away over the years.

What’s the point of going inside the restaurant now?

Still, drive-thrus have a certain draw that probably won’t go away any time soon, especially given how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting people.

Even during the COVID-19 crisis, fast food chains were able to come back thanks to their drive-thrus. Still, Bojangles’ may have been ahead of its time.

In 2017, the company said that 80% of its income came from orders from the drive-thru and takeout. In a changing world where people want less personal contact at restaurants but still want freshly made meals that are easy to get, Bojangles’ might be in a good position to fill that need.

Bojangles’ has its own emoji app

One of Bojangles’ less-than-stellar ways to promote itself was to make its own emoji app.

If you’ve ever wanted an emoji to show how much you love Bojangles’ but found the ones that come with iOS to be woefully limited, then Bomoji is the app for you. For the rest of us, though, it seems more like a mistaken attempt to attract younger customers.

Doug Poppen, Bojangles’ senior director of marketing at the time, told CNBC in 2015 that the company had noticed that “a large percentage of (its) most loyal fans use emojis as a primary language when communicating,” and that Millennials and Gen Z were leading this trend.

Even in 2015, this isn’t exactly a new idea. It looks like people haven’t liked the app much either. Several of the reviews have names like “Useless,” “Why?,” and “Waste of time.” Silly way to market?

Maybe. But as long as Bojangles’ keeps making its delicious chicken biscuits, we don’t care how many useless apps it comes out with.

The co-founder started out as a Hardee’s franchise owner

When he and Richard Thomas opened the first Bojangles’ restaurant in the late 1970s, the co-founder wasn’t a total newbie. Because he was good at football in high school, Jack Fulk got a few college grants.

However, he turned them down so he could work and help support his family. So, Fulk bought Hardee’s business in 1971.

This was his first job in the fast-food business, and there are reports that he always got in trouble with corporate for changing recipes and trying to come up with his own formulas. Hardee’s was upset, and Fulk tried out his cookies at the fast food place.

This was an early sign that Fulk would go on to bigger and better things. Six years after Fulk’s first job in fast food, he teamed up with Thomas to start what is now known as the Bojangles’ business.

Even though the first Bojangles’ restaurant was in a rougher part of Charlotte and they were pretty much starting from scratch, the partners’ dedication to quality helped them become successful in a short amount of time.

Bojangles’ has a location in Honduras

Since Bojangles’ restaurants are only in 12 states and D.C. in the US, you probably wouldn’t think that the Southern chicken company had any locations outside of the US. Don’t jump to conclusions so quickly, though.

Honduras is in Central America, and you can find a Bojangles’ in Coxen Hole on Roatán Island in Honduras. This means that the people there must like chicken and biscuits.

Bojangles’ only has one foreign restaurant, while KFC has restaurants in 145 countries and territories around the world.

You might think that Coxen Hole is one of the most popular places for tourists to visit, but that’s not true. Some cruise ships stop there, so it’s becoming more of a tourist spot, but it’s still a bit off the beaten road.

Does that mean that the people who live there are also going?

You can’t tell from the reviews, but fried chicken is loved everywhere on the planet.

One of its most popular items wasn’t always available

Bojangles’ is known for its chicken biscuits, but the Cheddar Bo is a very popular menu item that doesn’t have any chicken in it. At first, this thing wasn’t easy to get.

For a short time, you could only get it at a few shops. But, as you might expect in the internet age, there was a big fuss online. Customers wanted to get back their Cheddar Bo.

When you think about how good this simple cheesy biscuit is, it’s easy to see why there was even a Change.org plea to bring it back.

Bojangles’ fans of the Cheddar Bo were very vocal, so the sandwich was brought back for a limited time — at first. But that wasn’t enough, so finally, all the places that had been selling Cheddar Bos temporarily started selling them for good.

A few years ago, news outlets said that Cheddar Bos would be leaving some Bojangles’ restaurants in several states. However, it turned out that this was a false scare.

People have spoken, and they don’t want Bojangles’ to stop making this famous cheese-covered dish any time soon.

You can do Thanksgiving there

Even if you love to cook, there’s one dish at Thanksgiving dinner that’s always a pain to make, but it’s also the most important one. It had to be thawed, put together, and cooked hours before the guests arrived.

It’s no surprise that so many chain places now have Thanksgiving meals, including turkeys, on the menu.

Is it sad to get Thanksgiving dinner from a diner with a drive-thru?

Maybe. But it’s a lot easier than cooking your own turkey, and if you buy it and take it out of its box ahead of time, no one has to know.

This will not be a typical roasted turkey, either. A fried turkey can be dangerous, and turkey fryers often catch on fire. So, if you want to avoid calling the fire department, you might want to get a Bojangles’ Seasoned Fried Turkey instead.

But the company chose not to sell the popular Thanksgiving food in 2019. It also didn’t say why. Because of this, many Bojangles’ fans are asking if they can get a fried turkey in 2020.

One man found a surprise in his box of chicken

A few years ago, a man who went to a Bojangles’ in the Richmond, Virginia, area got an unusual surprise. In 2016, James Minor used the drive-thru to get a meal. But when he got his chicken, it was cold, so he sent it back and waited for a new order.

But when he opened the box to get his meal, he found $4,500 instead.

WTVR CBS 6 said that Minor went back to the restaurant to explain what had happened to the boss. He said, “I’m honest. I know what being honest means. “I have morals.”

He wondered if someone was trying to trick him or steal money from the shop.

Minor returned the money, but instead of being thanked by the store manager, he was treated badly because the manager said the store would have called the police on him. Minor said, “Now I’m doing something good by giving the money back.

Most people probably would have kept going and not known until they got home.

Minor was upset, so the company gave him a free meal and a tailgate party. When he called Bojangles’ corporate headquarters, he was also given a $100 gift card. Minor wasn’t happy, which makes sense.

“I should get respect, a letter of apology from the Bojangles’ company, and probably some money,” said Minor. “What good is a $100 gift certificate when you’re bringing in $4,500?”

Not everyone’s a fan of the spice at Bojangles’

Some people can eat hot food every day, and Bojangles’ restaurant is proud of its Cajun-seasoned recipe, but not everyone can handle the heat.

In 2013, the restaurant wanted to reach more people, so they came up with a new, softer recipe for Southern-style chicken tenders.

It was a good option for people who like the chain’s chicken pieces but have to drink a lot of milk in between bites of the original recipe because it burns their mouths.

And it doesn’t look like this is the first time the chain has had to offer less spicy chicken because some people couldn’t handle it. An old commercial for Bojangles’ said that their food had “flavor without the fire.

Even though the restaurant may have decided to add less hot options to the menu, that doesn’t mean spicy chicken is no longer popular.

In 2014, USA Today praised the chicken recipe at Bojangles’, saying that it had “just enough spicy punch to make it interesting.”

There are plenty of Bojangles’ copycat recipes available online

Since there are only a few Bojangles restaurants, you might not be able to find it where you live. But before you drive from L.A. to Charlotte, you should know that you can at least try to make some of your favorite Bojangles Recipes at home.

Fans of Bojangles from all over the country have come up with their own copied recipes. If you like to spend time in the kitchen, you should give them a try. You have to get cookies, fried chicken, and even sweet tea.

And if you want to bring a little bit of the South to your Thanksgiving table, you can try a turkey inspired by Bojangles.

Be aware that these recipes might not taste exactly like your favorite dishes from Bojangles’. Instead, think of it as a chance to put your own spin on things. At the very least, it might keep you from getting hungry until you can get your own Bojangles chicken biscuit.

Conclusion

Bojangles’ may have started out as a small Southern fast-food chain, but it has grown into a cultural icon in the southern United States.

From its humble beginnings in Charlotte, North Carolina, to its current standing as a beloved institution, It has stayed true to its roots as a provider of authentic Southern food and hospitality.

Whether you love Bojangles’ or have never eaten there, you can’t deny that the chain has changed the fast-food business.

FAQs About The Untold Truth Of Bojangles’

How did the name “Bojangles'” come to be?

The diner is named after Jerry Jeff Walker’s hit song “Mr. Bojangles.”

Does Bojangles’ have any options for people who are veggie or vegan?

What makes Bojangles’ chicken unique?

How do you make Cajun Pintos?

Cajun Pintos are a popular side food at Bojangles’. These are simmered pinto beans with a Cajun spice blend, enjoyed with a soft Bojangles’ biscuit.

What is “Soiled Rice”?

Dirty rice is a traditional side dish in the South. It is made with rice, ground meat, and veggies that have been seasoned.

How do you make a Bo-Berry Biscuit?

A Bo-Berry Biscuit is a soft biscuit from Bojangles’ that is filled with sweet blueberries and topped with a drizzle of creamy icing.

How many places does Bojangles’ have?

Bojangles’ has more than 750 places to eat in 11 southern states.

What is the Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits mix from Bojangles?

The  Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits package includes a piece of Bojangles’ famous fried chicken, a soft biscuit, and a side dish of your choice.

Does Bojangles’ have anything for breakfast?

Do they offer meals at Bojangles’?

Yes, Bojangles’ gives catering for events like parties, business meetings, and sports get-togethers.

What does Bojangles do to help the community?

Bojangles’ works with local schools, charities, and non-profits to give back to the areas it serves. The company also has a charity called the Bojangles’ Community charity. This foundation gives out scholarships and grants to support education and community development projects.