Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to the Afternoon Ride with Duke — where we celebrate Carolina stories that took off, from dirt-road dreams to household names. I’m your host, Duke Tyner, and today we’re talkin’ about a business that started with a biscuit and built a Southern empire.
Yep — I’m talkin’ about Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ’n Biscuits.
It all started right here in Charlotte, North Carolina, back in 1977.
Two men — Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas — had a simple idea: serve up the best fried chicken and fresh biscuits in town, and do it with a little Southern rhythm.
They opened that first Bojangles restaurant on West Boulevard, and before long, folks were lined up out the door. The smell of those Cajun-seasoned fries and buttermilk biscuits was all the advertising they needed.
It wasn’t fancy — just good food, good folks, and that Carolina charm that makes people feel right at home.
By the 1980s, Bojangles was spreadin’ its wings across the Carolinas and beyond. You couldn’t drive down a Southern highway without seein’ that gold-and-red sign callin’ your name.
What made Bojangles special wasn’t just the chicken — it was attitude.
They leaned into the music, the people, and the culture that made the South proud. From gospel choirs in commercials to country jingles that stuck in your head, Bojangles made “Southern flavor” a brand of its own.
Families would pile in after Sunday church, grab a box of chicken, and share a meal that just felt right. That’s what built the loyalty — comfort food with soul.
Fast forward to today, and Bojangles is still standin’ tall — with over 800 locations across the Southeast United States and still headquartered right here in North Carolina.
You’ll find their biscuits in grocery stores now, and their sweet tea? It’s become legendary. Folks up north even order it online just to get a taste of the South.
And Bojangles isn’t slowin’ down — they’re expanding west, openin’ new spots in places that never knew what real chicken tasted like until now.
If there’s one thing Bojangles teaches us, it’s this: stick to what you’re good at and stay true to your roots.
They didn’t chase fads or lose themselves in the noise. They stayed focused on good food, friendly faces, and Carolina hospitality.
That kind of dedication — that heart — is what built a legacy that’s lasted nearly fifty years.
From that one Charlotte kitchen to a name known across America, Bojangles shows that a dream, when seasoned right, can feed generations.
So next time you pull up to a Bojangles drive-thru, think about the story behind that biscuit.
Two dreamers, one fryer, and a little Carolina courage turned a hometown recipe into a nationwide name.
That’s all for today’s Afternoon Ride with Duke.
Keep chasin’ your dreams, folks — and maybe grab yourself a biscuit and sweet tea while you’re at it.
Until next time, this is Duke Tyner sayin’ — drive safe, stay grateful, and I’ll catch you on the next ride.
