A Bojangles franchise costs $2,851,880 to $3,951,200 for a traditional restaurant, including the $35,000 fee, under the April 20, 2026 FDD. Most deals are three-restaurant development agreements, and the company map lists 30 states as available.
Key takeaways
- The franchisor’s territory map, checked November 10, 2026, marks Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina as reserved, 30 states as available and shades 15 grey, which we read from the map legend as future markets (bojanglesfranchising.com).
- Texas leads Item 20 Table 5 of the Bojangles Franchise Disclosure Document, issued April 20, 2026: 15 signed agreements not yet open and 12 projected franchised openings in the next fiscal year.
- A development agreement requires at least three restaurants and a $10,000 development fee per restaurant, credited against each $35,000 franchise fee (FDD Items 1 and 5).
- Exhibit H of the FDD, the standard Letter of Intent form, prints “[$1,350,000 in liquid assets and $2,500,000 net worth]”; the franchise cost page lists $1,000,000 liquid capital and the same $2,500,000 net worth.
- Two development incentives, a fee and royalty reduction program and a $300,000 per-restaurant equipment reimbursement, require a development agreement signed by December 31, 2026 (FDD Item 5).
Where is Bojangles selling franchises right now?
Bojangles Opco, LLC sorts U.S. states into three groups on the Available Markets map at bojanglesfranchising.com. As read from the map’s configuration file on November 10, 2026, 4 states are reserved, 30 are available and 15 are shaded grey; we read the grey shading in the legend as future markets, a label the map does not spell out. The reserved block (Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina) held 652 of the 867 restaurants counted in Item 20 at December 28, 2025.
The map is a franchisor marketing tool, not a contract term. Under FDD Item 12, a franchisee only gets territorial rights through an Assigned Area written into a development agreement, and a single franchise agreement carries no protected territory at all. A state marked available therefore means the company is recruiting there; it does not mean a specific city is open on the day a buyer calls.
| Map status (Nov 10, 2026) | States | Bojangles outlets at Dec 28, 2025 | Signed, not opened (Item 20 Table 5) | Projected franchised openings, next fiscal year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reserved | AL, GA, NC, SC | 652 | 9 | 12 | Company map; FDD Item 20 |
| Available | AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, NV, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV | 215 | 52 | 43 | Company map; FDD Item 20 |
| Future (grey) | HI, ID, IA, ME, MN, MT, NE, NH, ND, OR, SD, VT, WA, WI, WY | 0 | 0 | 0 | Company map; FDD Item 20 |
| Hidden | AK | 0 | 0 | 0 | Company map |
Eight available states have no Bojangles outlet and no Table 5 entry at all: Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Utah. A buyer there would be opening the first restaurant in the state, which affects co-op advertising: Item 6 note 4 ties cooperative contributions of typically 2% of Gross Sales to a Designated Market Area, and a new market may have no co-op yet. The full state list, with status and outlet counts, is in bojangles-market-status-2026.csv.
Which states did the April 2026 FDD project new restaurants in?
Item 20 Table 5 of the April 20, 2026 Bojangles FDD lists 61 franchise agreements signed but not opened and 55 projected franchised openings for fiscal 2026, spread over 21 states. Texas has 15 signed and 12 projected, followed by Nevada with 6 and 6, New Jersey with 6 and 5, and Michigan with 5 and 4. Michigan, Arizona, California, New York, Kansas and Oklahoma appear even though none had a Bojangles at December 28, 2025.
Texas accounts for 15 of 61 signed-but-unopened agreements and 12 of 55 projected franchised openings. Source: Bojangles FDD issued April 20, 2026, Item 20, Table 5.
| State | Outlets at Dec 28, 2025 | Signed, not opened | Projected franchised, next fiscal year | Projected company-operated, next fiscal year | Map status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 19 | 15 | 12 | 7 | Available |
| Nevada | 5 | 6 | 6 | 0 | Available |
| New Jersey | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | Available |
| North Carolina | 353 | 5 | 5 | 2 | Reserved |
| South Carolina | 153 | 2 | 5 | 0 | Reserved |
| Michigan | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | Available |
| Arizona | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | Available |
| Ohio | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | Available |
| Maryland, Mississippi, New York | 1, 5, 0 | 1, 2, 2 | 2 each | 0 | Available |
| California | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Available |
| Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma | 14, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 1 | 3, 2, 3 | Available |
| Other 6 states (AL, AR, GA, LA, TN, VA) | see CSV | 9 | 6 | 3 | Mixed |
| Total as printed | 867 | 61 | 55 | 21 | FDD Item 20 |
One arithmetic point: the company-operated column of Table 5 prints a total of 21, but its 7 state rows (FL 3, GA 1, KS 2, NC 2, OK 3, TN 2, TX 7) add to 20. The franchised columns reconcile. The annotated page below shows the Texas row and the printed totals. Every state’s 2023 to 2025 openings, transfers and Table 5 figures are in bojangles-item20-states-2023-2025.csv.
The franchisor’s own posts match the Table 5 pattern. A November 24, 2025 company post describes a 21-unit development agreement for San Antonio, and a September 23, 2025 post describes a commitment for 40 new units in Cincinnati and Columbus. Development commitments are not openings; the gap between signed deals and open restaurants is the subject of our franchise development backlog research.
What does a Bojangles development agreement commit you to?
Bojangles offers three contracts: a Development Agreement for at least three restaurants in a negotiated Assigned Area, an Individual Franchise Agreement for one traditional restaurant, and a Bojangles Express Franchise Agreement for a non-traditional site (FDD Item 1). Under the development route, the $10,000 development fee per committed restaurant is paid at signing, is non-refundable, and is credited against each $35,000 franchise fee when that restaurant starts construction (Item 5).
| Commitment | Development fees at signing ($10,000 each) | Balance per restaurant at construction start | Fees to franchisor across the deal | Restaurants eligible for equipment reimbursement (ERI) | ERI opening window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 restaurants | $30,000 | $25,000 | $105,000 | 1st and 2nd | 4 years |
| 5 restaurants | $50,000 | $25,000 | $175,000 | 1st, 2nd and 5th | 5 years |
| 10 restaurants | $100,000 | $25,000 | $350,000 | 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 10th | 7 years |
The arithmetic in the table is ours: commitment times $35,000 equals total franchise fees, of which $10,000 per restaurant moves up front. Item 5 also records that the development fee was cut to $5,000 for two franchisees in the last fiscal year, and that some older franchisees pay $25,000 fees under grandfathered terms. Missing a deadline in the development schedule lets the franchisor terminate or shrink the Assigned Area (Item 12). For how other brands structure these agreements, see our area development agreements research.
Which incentives end on December 31, 2026?
Item 5 describes three programs, and each requires a new development agreement for at least three restaurants signed no later than December 31, 2026. A franchisee may use only one of them, because each program bars participation in any other incentive. The equipment programs also pay only actual, invoiced equipment costs.
| Program | Who qualifies | What it changes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development Incentive Program (DIP) | Ownership at least 51% held by minorities, women or veterans (DD Form 214 or similar for veterans) | Franchise fee cut 50% on the first two qualifying restaurants ($17,500 instead of $35,000); royalty reduced by 3 points in year one, 2 in year two, 1 in year three | FDD Item 5, Exhibit P-1 |
| Equipment Reimbursement Incentive (ERI) | New development agreement, traditional free-standing restaurants opened on schedule | Up to $300,000 of equipment cost per eligible restaurant, paid within 30 days after opening and receipt of invoices | FDD Item 5, Exhibit P-2 |
| Non-Trad Equipment Incentive | Three or more airport, campus, stadium, base or similar captive sites within five years; 10-year occupancy right | $100,000 at opening, then a second payment tied to 10% of first-year Gross Sales, capped at $200,000 in total per restaurant | FDD Item 5, Exhibit P-3 |
The franchisor’s home page presents the ERI as “$600K total” for a three-unit deal and “$900K total” for five or more units. Those totals assume the full $300,000 is spent on equipment at each eligible site; the Item 7 equipment line for a traditional restaurant is $686,000 to $886,000, so the cap, not the invoice, is the likely limit. Veteran-owned buyers can compare this program with other brands on our franchise opportunities for veterans page.
How do the traditional and Express budgets compare, line by line?
Item 7 of the April 2026 FDD gives two budgets. A traditional free-standing Bojangles of about 2,500 to 3,200 square feet totals $2,851,880 to $3,951,200, and a Bojangles Express inside a convenience store, campus or similar host building totals $780,780 to $1,858,700. Neither total includes buying or leasing the land or building, and Bojangles offers no financing (Items 7 and 10).
| Item 7 line | Traditional low | Traditional high | Express low | Express high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise fee | $35,000 | $35,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 |
| Insurance | $5,000 | $22,000 | $5,000 | $22,000 |
| Pre-opening salaries, training, travel | $144,550 | $250,000 | $144,550 | $250,000 |
| Site selection | $100 | $10,000 | not listed | not listed |
| Building (traditional) or upfitting (Express) | $1,100,000 | $1,375,000 | $327,000 | $705,000 |
| Site work | $662,000 | $848,000 | not listed | not listed |
| Soft costs | $166,000 | $366,000 | not listed | not listed |
| Equipment, furniture, signage, fixtures | $686,000 | $886,000 | $231,000 | $702,500 |
| Initial inventory | $21,000 | $75,000 | $21,000 | $75,000 |
| Utility deposits and business licenses | $230 | $24,200 | $230 | $24,200 |
| Additional funds, 3 months | $32,000 | $60,000 | $32,000 | $60,000 |
| Total (FDD Item 7) | $2,851,880 | $3,951,200 | $780,780 | $1,858,700 |
Building, site work and equipment make up most of the $2,851,880 to $3,951,200 traditional estimate. Source: Bojangles FDD issued April 20, 2026, Item 7, Table No. 1.
Building plus site work is $1,762,000 to $2,223,000 of the traditional total, which is 61.8% of the low estimate and 56.3% of the high one (our arithmetic). Item 7 note 4 adds what the total leaves out: a typical site needs about an acre with roughly 160 feet of frontage, and rent for unimproved land may run about $10,800 to $16,500 or more per month. For an Express unit, note 9 estimates three months of pre-opening rent at about $15,000 to $37,000 or more.
Note 8 requires a franchisee to pay in full for the equipment package of its first restaurant, with no equipment financing. Training costs cover sending seven to nine people plus the Managing Owner and Designated Operator, at $205 to $225 per person per day for travel and lodging (note 3). A chicken brand with an in-line format and a lower floor is broken down on our Popeyes franchise cost page.
Which percentages leave each restaurant every month?
Item 6 sets a 4% royalty and a 1% Marketing Development Fund contribution, both on monthly Gross Sales and due on the 15th, plus a 3% local marketing spend that the franchisee directs and reports quarterly. Cooperative advertising, typically 2% and capped at 2% of Gross Sales, counts toward that 3%. The combined percentage load is therefore 8% of Gross Sales, before rent, labor and food.
| Fee (FDD Item 6) | Amount | When due | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 4% of monthly Gross Sales | 15th of each month | Reduced for 3 years under the DIP program |
| Marketing Development Fund | 1% of monthly Gross Sales | 15th of each month | See Item 11 |
| Local marketing expenditure | 3% of Gross Sales less co-op spend | Shown quarterly | Unspent amounts may be paid to the franchisor |
| Advertising technology vendors | Currently $153 per restaurant | Monthly | Counts toward the 3% |
| Cooperative advertising | Typically 2%, maximum 2% | On invoice | Credited against local marketing |
| Transfer | $5,000 per restaurant | Before closing | When control changes |
| Renewal | 50% of the then-current franchise fee | At renewal signing | Express agreements have no renewal right |
| Interest on late amounts | 1.5% per month | On demand | Or the legal maximum if lower |
| Extra on-site support | $2,500 per person per week | On demand | Only if requested |
| New product or supplier testing | Estimated $4,800 to $12,900 | On demand | See Item 8 |
In eight Designated Market Areas the franchisor holds the majority co-op vote through its company restaurants: Lexington and Louisville in Kentucky; Charlotte, Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem and Wilmington in North Carolina; Charleston and Columbia in South Carolina; and Nashville, Tennessee (Item 6 note 4). A buyer entering one of those DMAs should expect the company to set co-op spending there.
What financial screen and operator roles does Bojangles require?
The Bojangles franchise cost page lists a $2,500,000 minimum net worth and $1,000,000 minimum liquid capital. The standard Letter of Intent attached to the April 2026 FDD as Exhibit H prints a higher liquidity line in brackets: $1,350,000 in liquid assets and $2,500,000 net worth. The franchisee must also be a corporation or limited liability company, not an individual (Item 1).
| Requirement | Figure or rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net worth | $2,500,000 | Company cost page; FDD Exhibit H |
| Liquid capital | $1,000,000 on the website; $1,350,000 in the LOI form | Company cost page; FDD Exhibit H |
| Legal form | Corporation or LLC | FDD Item 1 |
| Managing Owner | Holds a majority equity interest (or the largest stake), signs personally, completes training | FDD Item 15 |
| Designated Operator | Full time, appointed 6 months before the first opening, completes training | FDD Item 15 |
| Training length | 13 to 26 weeks for the Managing Owner and Designated Operator; about 4 to 8 weeks for managers | FDD Item 11 |
| Location preference | “Based in or near one of the Bojangles expansion target markets” | Company ideal-candidate page |
The brackets in Exhibit H mark a field the franchisor fills in for each deal, so the $1,350,000 figure is the form’s default rather than a fixed rule. A buyer who qualifies only at the website’s $1,000,000 level should ask which number the Letter of Intent will carry before paying for site studies. The six-step process page places the financial qualification package at step 3, before Discovery Day and before the development agreement at step 6.
How fast can a Bojangles open after signing?
For a single franchise agreement, FDD Item 11 sets three outside deadlines: site approval within 180 days of signing, construction start within 270 days of site approval, and opening within 180 days of construction start. That adds to 630 days at most. Item 11 states the company’s experience as about 15 months from an executed agreement on an acceptable site to opening.
- Sign the franchise agreement and pay the $35,000 fee (Individual Franchise Agreement, Item 5).
- Win site approval within 180 days; the site study may cover traffic counts, competing businesses and population trends (Item 7 note 4).
- Start construction within 270 days of site approval, using an approved architect and licensed general contractor (Items 1 and 7).
- Appoint the Designated Operator at least 6 months before the first opening (Item 15).
- Finish training so trainees graduate about 3 weeks before opening (Item 11).
- Open within 180 days of construction start. An extension of up to six months costs $2,500 and must be requested at least 14 days before the deadline (Items 5 and 11).
Under a development agreement the order shifts: the franchisor issues a site approval letter, and the franchisee signs the restaurant’s franchise agreement within 30 days of receiving it, then pays the fee balance by the earlier of the schedule’s construction deadline or 270 days after site approval.
Who owns Bojangles, and what changed hands in 2025?
The franchisor, Bojangles Opco, LLC, is a Delaware company formed on February 3, 2020 that became franchisor on October 6, 2020 through a securitization of the brand. It sits under six parent entities ending at Walker Parent, Inc., which acquired Bojangles’, Inc. by merger on January 28, 2019. Item 3 names the merger counterparties as Durational Capital Management LP, The Jordan Company, L.P. and TEI Investment Pte. Ltd.
The securitization matters day to day because Bojangles’ Restaurants, Inc. (BRI) acts as manager: it collects payments, runs the 276 company restaurants and serves as franchise sales broker, while Opco stays responsible for every promised service (Item 1). Item 3 also discloses a putative class action filed December 23, 2025 against BRI over a 2024 data security incident in which 165,106 individuals were notified.
| Item 20 measure | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchised outlets at year end | 532 | 564 | 591 |
| Company-operated outlets at year end | 285 | 266 | 276 |
| Franchised outlets opened | 34 | 35 | 31 |
| Terminations | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Transfers between franchisees | 38 | 9 | 128 |
| Company outlets sold to franchisees | 4 | 19 | 1 |
The 128 transfers in 2025 fall in six states: South Carolina 53, North Carolina 28, Tennessee 25, Georgia 18, Ohio 3 and Kentucky 1 (Item 20 Table 2). That lines up with the franchisor’s September 23, 2025 post describing the sale of more than 120 restaurants across six states to a new operator. Item 20 also warns that some current and former franchisees signed confidentiality provisions, so not every former owner can speak freely. Transfer costs across brands are compared in our franchise transfer fees research.
Bojangles figures in circulation, checked against the 2026 filing
Several ranking pages for this search still carry figures that the April 20, 2026 FDD replaces. The table below sets each published claim next to the filing. We describe the pages without naming them; the FDD and the franchisor’s cost page are linked in Sources.
| Claim on a ranking page | April 2026 FDD or company page | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A lender guide updated in October 2026: $25,000 franchise fee | $35,000 traditional; $20,000 Express; $25,000 only for some grandfathered franchisees | FDD Item 5 |
| Same guide: 4.5% royalty and $1.2M to $2.2M total | 4% royalty; $2,851,880 to $3,951,200 traditional | FDD Items 6 and 7 |
| Same guide: $1.5M net worth, $500K liquid | $2,500,000 net worth; $1,000,000 (website) or $1,350,000 (Exhibit H) liquid | Company cost page; FDD Exhibit H |
| A marketplace profile: $2,600,320 to $3,779,700 and 813 units | Those are 2024 FDD figures; 2026 shows $2,851,880 to $3,951,200 and 867 outlets | FDD Items 7 and 20 |
| A data profile: 4.00% advertising fee | 1% Marketing Development Fund plus 3% local marketing, with co-op spend credited | FDD Item 6 |
| Listing summaries: $1,000,000 net worth | $2,500,000 net worth | Company cost page; FDD Exhibit H |
Which Bojangles entry route fits your market and capital?
The route depends on three facts a buyer can check before any call: the state’s map status, whether the site is free-standing or inside a host business, and liquid capital against the $1,000,000 to $1,350,000 screen. The table turns those into next steps. It is general information, not legal, financial or investment advice; an attorney should review the Development Agreement before signing.
| If your situation is | Then the likely route is | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Target state is reserved (AL, GA, NC or SC) | Buying an existing restaurant from a franchisee rather than new development | Item 20 transfer counts and the $5,000 transfer fee (Item 6) |
| Target state is available and you can fund 3 traditional units by December 31, 2026 | Development Agreement with either the ERI or the DIP incentive | Which single incentive fits; schedule length of 4, 5 or 7 years |
| You own or lease a convenience store, campus or travel plaza site | Bojangles Express Franchise Agreement, $20,000 fee | 10-year term with no renewal right (Item 17) |
| You control three or more captive venues (airport, base, stadium) | Non-Trad development deal | 10-year occupancy right at each site (Item 5) |
| Liquid capital below $1,000,000 | Not within the published screen | Partner equity in the corporation or LLC, with a majority Managing Owner |
| Target state is shaded future (for example WA, MN or WI) | No current offer on the map | Ask the franchisor whether the state is in its next development plan |
For financing, Bojangles appears on the SBA Franchise Directory under code S0233, with a code start date of October 1, 2017, and SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data shows 10 7(a) loans and 4 504 loans for the brand from fiscal 2020 to June 30, 2026. Our SBA Franchise Directory tracker explains how lenders read the code, and the franchise financing guide covers equity injection. Item 19 of the FDD does contain FY2025 gross sales ranges by state and company-restaurant cost percentages; read it in the filing itself, since this site does not republish earnings data. Our guide to reading an FDD shows where each item sits.
How we compiled this
We read the full Bojangles Opco, LLC Franchise Disclosure Document issued April 20, 2026 (575 pages, filed with Minnesota CARDS), five pages on bojanglesfranchising.com plus its map configuration file, the SBA Franchise Directory file effective September 29, 2026 and the FTC Franchise Rule, all accessed in November 2026. State counts and the arithmetic in the tables are ours, and both CSV files reproduce them. We excluded every Item 19 figure and did not name franchisees.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Bojangles franchise cost?
Item 7 of the Bojangles FDD issued April 20, 2026 estimates $2,851,880 to $3,951,200 for a traditional free-standing restaurant and $780,780 to $1,858,700 for a Bojangles Express inside a host building. Both totals include the franchise fee but exclude buying or leasing real estate, and Bojangles does not finance any part of the investment.
How much is the Bojangles franchise fee?
The fee is $35,000 for a traditional restaurant and $20,000 for a Bojangles Express, per Item 5 of the April 2026 FDD. Development deals add a $10,000 fee per committed restaurant at signing, credited against each $35,000 fee. Qualifying minority, women or veteran owners can get 50% off the fee on their first two restaurants.
How much do Bojangles franchise owners make?
This site does not publish earnings figures. Owner income depends on sales against the 8% of Gross Sales owed under Item 6, rent outside the Item 7 budget, and labor and food costs. Item 19 of the April 2026 FDD contains state-by-state sales ranges and company cost percentages; read it directly and ask current franchisees listed in Exhibit L.
What are the requirements to own a Bojangles franchise?
The franchisor’s cost page asks for $2,500,000 net worth and $1,000,000 liquid capital, while the FDD’s Exhibit H Letter of Intent form prints $1,350,000 liquid. The buyer must be a corporation or LLC, commit to at least three restaurants under a development agreement, and send a Managing Owner and Designated Operator through 13 to 26 weeks of training.
Who owns Bojangles?
Bojangles Opco, LLC is the franchisor, owned through a chain of parents that ends at Walker Parent, Inc., per Item 1 of the April 2026 FDD. Walker Parent acquired Bojangles’, Inc. by merger on January 28, 2019; Item 3 names Durational Capital Management LP, The Jordan Company, L.P. and TEI Investment Pte. Ltd. as parties to that merger.
Can you open just one Bojangles restaurant?
Yes, on paper. Item 1 of the 2026 FDD offers an Individual Franchise Agreement for one traditional restaurant and an Express agreement for one non-traditional site, alongside development agreements of three or more. The company’s ideal-candidate page still says it prefers operators able to pursue multi-unit growth near its expansion target markets.
Which states can you open a Bojangles in?
On November 10, 2026 the franchisor’s map marked 30 states as available, including Texas, New Jersey, Nevada, Michigan, Arizona, California and New York. Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina were reserved, and 15 mostly northern and western states, such as Washington and Minnesota, were shaded as future markets.
Sources
- Bojangles Opco, LLC Franchise Disclosure Document, issued April 20, 2026 (Items 1 to 20, Exhibit H), Minnesota Department of Commerce CARDS, accessed November 10, 2026.
- Chicken Franchise Cost, Bojangles Opco, LLC, accessed November 10, 2026.
- Available Markets map, bojanglesfranchising.com (state colors read from the page’s map configuration file), Bojangles Opco, LLC, accessed November 10, 2026.
- Franchise Process and Ideal Candidate, Bojangles Opco, LLC, accessed November 10, 2026.
- Bojangles Franchise Growth Accelerates with Acquisition of 120 Restaurants and New Ohio Expansion, September 23, 2025, and Bojangles Strengthens Texas Presence with New San Antonio Franchise Agreement, November 24, 2025, Bojangles Opco, LLC, accessed November 10, 2026.
- SBA Franchise Directory, effective September 29, 2026, U.S. Small Business Administration, accessed November 10, 2026.
- 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan data, as of June 30, 2026, U.S. Small Business Administration, accessed November 10, 2026.
- 16 CFR Part 436, Disclosure Requirements and Prohibitions Concerning Franchising, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, accessed November 10, 2026.