Dive Brief:
- Roadster Travel Centers, a truck stop chain with locations in Texas, is welcoming Bojangles restaurants to five of its sites across the Lone Star State, according to an announcement from Bojangles.
- The multi-unit development agreement — made between Bojangles and QSR franchisee Foodster Fusion — will bring the fast-food chicken chain to Roadster locations in markets such as Lorena, Seguin and Tyler, Texas.
- This marks the third c-store franchise agreement Bojangles has made since 2019 as the restaurant group aims to open more than 200 restaurants over the next several years.
Dive Insight:
Bojangles continues to target the convenience store industry as it pursues “aggressive U.S. expansion,” according to the announcement.
In December 2019, the restaurant chain made an agreement with Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores for 40 new locations across four states. Last year, Bojangles made a deal to bring its fast-food chicken to 10 TravelCenters of America locations out west.
Bojangles’ partnership with Roadster is part of the restaurant chain’s “non-traditional” growth strategy, which aims to help the company meet larger audiences and take advantage of places with a lot of foot traffic, Jim Cannon, chief development officer for Bojangles, said in the announcement.
Besides convenience stores, this strategy also encompasses airports, sports stadiums and college campuses.
The partnership expands Bojangles’ footprint across Texas, where it currently operates seven restaurants, according to the company’s website.
“Texas remains a priority for our team, so it was important to partner with an experienced franchisee that has a deep understanding of the region,” Cannon said.
The franchise agreement also marks another restaurant partnership for Roadster, which also offers IHOP and Sonic Drive-In locations at some of its sites.
Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bojangles specializes in several types of fried chicken, such as boneless tenders, sandwiches and fried chicken biscuits. Bojangles also offers Southern-inspired sides including dirty rice, Cajun pinto beans, green beans and coleslaw.
