Bojangles' Reaches Two Exciting Milestones: 500 Restaurants and 35 Years in Business

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating 35 years in business, Bojangles' reached another significant milestone today – the opening of its 500th restaurant in Surf City, N.C.

In July of 1977 Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas opened the first Bojangles' in the South End of Charlotte, N.C., because they knew they had something other restaurants did not – unique recipes for flavorful fried chicken and made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits.  Over the last 35 years, such classic menu items as the Cajun filet biscuit, fried chicken dinners, legendary iced tea, fixin's like Dirty Rice® and sweet treats like the Bo-Berry Biscuit® have propelled this once-small operation in North Carolina to become one of the most beloved brands in the Southeast, with avid fans spreading across the country.

"We attribute the steady growth and success of Bojangles' to our distinctive, great tasting food and the heroes of our business who prepare and serve our unique recipes and provide top-quality service to guests in our restaurants every day," said Bojangles' President and CEO Randy Kibler.

In addition to providing distinctive products and unequaled service, Bojangles' offers its full menu all day long.  Customers can purchase fresh, made-from-scratch biscuits all day, every day!  Bojangles' world famous chicken is fresh, never frozen, and is hand battered each day with biscuits being prepared every 20 minutes.  

"As the word spread about Bojangles' tasty, one-of-a-kind menu offerings and our footprint continued to grow, we've developed a cult-like following of fans that are passionate not only about our food but the overall brand," said Bojangles' Senior Vice President of Marketing Randy Poindexter.  

"We've really been able to get a sense of the culture that has developed among lovers of Bojangles' since the inception of social media," Poindexter continued.  "Each day our fans post on our Facebook page begging us to open a Bojangles' in the town they've relocated to, or add funny comments like 'Bo-Berry Biscuits saved my life today!'  It's a great feeling to know that our customers care as much about this brand as we do."

Bojangles' does not intend to stop its aggressive expansion of company and franchise restaurants with number 500.  So far in 2011, a new Bojangles' has popped up, on average, every nine days.  With each new restaurant equaling a $1.7 million investment and creating 25 to 30 new jobs, Bojangles' brings more than delicious chicken and biscuits to a community when the restaurant comes to town.  Bojangles' expansion to 500 units comes as systemwide revenue has exceeded company records, approaching nearly $800 million for 2011.

Another way Bojangles' connects with the community is by providing support for a number of worthy charities.  For instance, this year Bojangles' raised over $300,000 during the 2011 Shamrocks Against Dystrophy® in-store fundraiser bringing the total contribution to the MDA to over $2 million.  

To learn more about Bojangles' history, menu items, community involvement and more, visit www.Bojangles.com.  Those interested in getting up-to-date information from Bojangles' can become a fan of the restaurant on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Bojangles) or follow Bojangles' on Twitter (@Bojangles1977).

About Bojangles'

Founded in 1977 in Charlotte, N.C., Bojangles' Restaurants Inc. serves only the highest quality and most flavorful food to its loyal customers, with all of its proprietary menu items made from scratch.   A special blend of seasonings gives the food its unique flavor, including Bojangles' core menu selections of World Famous chicken, fresh made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits and legendary iced tea steeped the old-fashioned way.  Bojangles' also offers biscuit sandwiches that are served all day.  Unique sides like Dirty Rice®, Cajun Pintos® and Seasoned Fries™ are just a few of the flavorful fixin' choices.  First franchised in 1978, Bojangles' boasts 500 locations in 10 states, primarily in the Southeast. The company was named one of the top 10 growth concepts in 2009 by both GE Capital and QSR magazine.  Its strong performance in all three day parts is what sets Bojangles' apart from all other restaurants.  For more information, visit www.bojangles.com.

SOURCE Bojangles' Restaurants Inc.