Bojangles, the Charlotte-based restaurant chain birthed in the 1970s and famous for its Cajun-style fried chicken, has announced the signing of a 30-unit agreement bringing the brand to Los Angeles County for the first time—and yes, that includes Long Beach. If anything, with the sad closure of the Long Beach location of famed Memphis chicken shop Gus’s in 2023, here’s to hoping Bojangles can have a bit more success in Long Beach proper with a massive overall move into the county.
Bojangles massive 30-location deal is with an Angeleno entrepreneur
Lorenzo Boucetta—who moved to Los Angeles in 2009 and has since build up a business restoring historical properties—has partnered with Poulet Brothers LLC to bring Los Angeles County the first of 30 locations in early 2025; the specific location of that first Bojangles was not disclosed.
“From the moment I was first introduced to Bojangles, I knew immediately that this was a brand that I wanted to be a part of. The delicious chicken, biscuits, and breakfast, combined with strong unit economics and unparalleled support made the decision a no-brainer for me,” Boucetta said in a press release. “I’ve spent several years in hospitality and real estate development, but my roots have always been ingrained in the restaurant industry. The opportunity to grow Bojangles in California presented itself at the perfect moment, and I am thrilled to bring this iconic brand to the market for the first time.”
Bojangles has built up a cult-like following with its fried chicken
The love of Bojangles blew up incredibly quickly: Opening in 1977 in Charlotte, Jack Fulk sold the Bojangles concept to the now-defunct Horn & Hardart Company just four years later. Under their tenure, Bojangles came to become a 300-plus location fried chicken beast, with nearly a third of that in Florida alone (thanks to the conversion of existing locations of the now-defunct Biscuits acquired by Horn & Hardart.
Come 2014, it celebrated its 600th location with plans announced in 2022 and 2023 to expand into Jersey and Vegas.
Yes, you can own a Bojangles—though likely not the best idea considering the current deal for Los Angeles County
“Supporting our franchisees is a fundamental pillar of success and growth at Bojangles. Being there for them at every stage of the franchising process strengthens our relationships and commitment to partnership,” said Jose Armario, CEO of Bojangles in a press release. “Lorenzo’s impressive background in business operations, hospitality, and real estate development makes him an ideal partner for us. We are ecstatic to bring Bojangles to Los Angeles residents and look forward to opening our first location in California next year, while anticipating the exciting growth that will follow.”
Bojangles is encouraging others to follow suit—but maybe for those out in the Inland Empire or Orange County considering Boucetta’s massive footprint on Los Angeles makes it nearly impossible to create one here.
