{"id":363407,"date":"2026-08-05T13:50:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T13:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/363407\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T13:50:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T13:50:35","slug":"bojangles-targets-25-tampa-bay-restaurants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/363407\/","title":{"rendered":"Bojangles targets 25 Tampa Bay restaurants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bojangles<\/a> believes Tampa Bay can support 20 to 25 restaurants<\/a> over the next seven to eight years and is recruiting franchise operators to build them.<\/p>\n

Tampa is \u201cexactly the kind of market\u201d Bojangles targeted as it expanded nationally, said Brooks Speirs, the chain\u2019s vice president of franchise sales, citing the region\u2019s continued population growth, vibrant restaurant scene and customers who appreciate bold flavors and quality food.<\/p>\n

The chain already operates company-owned restaurants in Lutz and Pinellas Park<\/a>, and its real estate<\/a> team has spent the past 18 months evaluating sites across the region.<\/p>\n

The company has met with several prospective franchise groups but is still looking for the right operator to build out the market. It would also consider selling or franchising its two existing stores to an operator that commits to opening additional locations over the next five to seven years.<\/p>\n

Bojangles is looking for either a hands-on franchisee or a well-capitalized group willing to hire an operating partner to run the restaurants day-to-day.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur best franchisees are all in and are focused on running Bojangles,\u201d Speirs said. \u201cThey\u2019re not operating a Bojangles from a spreadsheet a thousand miles away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unlike many restaurant franchisors, Bojangles tests new products and technology in its 283 company-owned restaurants before asking franchisees to adopt them. The company owns 283 of its 886 restaurants, more than any individual franchisee operates.<\/p>\n

Bojangles launched a national expansion plan about four years ago after nearly five decades concentrated in the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia. As it entered Florida and other newer markets, the chain shifted away from bone-in chicken and expanded its focus on tenders and chicken sandwiches, which Speirs said better match changing consumer<\/a> preferences while simplifying restaurant operations.<\/p>\n

For new Tampa-area restaurants, Bojangles wants visible, high-traffic sites with parking and easy access. It also prefers locations near major retailers such as Costco and Super Target and alongside existing clusters of quick-service restaurants.<\/p>\n

Breakfast changes which side of the road Bojangles wants<\/p>\n

About 30% of Bojangles\u2019 Florida sales occur before 11 a.m., so the company favors sites on the morning-commute side of the road. Drivers rushing to work or school are more likely to make a quick right turn than cross traffic for a left turn.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat right in and right out makes all the difference in the world,\u201d Speirs said.<\/p>\n

In Florida and Texas, breakfast has grown from about 20% of sales in the first year to roughly 30% in the second, Speirs said. In the Carolinas, where the brand has operated for decades, breakfast generates about 40% of sales.<\/p>\n

In newer markets, Speirs said, customers do not always associate a chicken chain with breakfast, so introducing that part of the menu becomes part of the expansion strategy.<\/p>\n

Breakfast also gives Bojangles something many chicken chains don\u2019t have, Speirs said, allowing the company to compete across breakfast, lunch and dinner rather than relying on a single daypart.<\/p>\n

\u201cCapital is critical because it\u2019s not cheap to build restaurants,\u201d Speirs said. \u201cWhat\u2019s most important is a hands-on operator.\u201d<\/p>\n

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