I'm the CEO of Bojangles. Gen Z is key to helping us expand beyond our Southern roots.

• Bojangles is expanding nationally, with new locations opening in Las Vegas, New Jersey, and Texas.
• The chain, known for its bold flavors and Southern hospitality, was a regional secret for years.
• Bojangles uses AI in drive-thrus and targets Gen Z with menu innovation and modern design.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with José Armario, the CEO of Bojangles. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I've been CEO of Bojangles since 2019, when we took the company private. From the very beginning, I knew we had a special brand on our hands — now, I'm in charge of making sure everyone else knows it, too.

That means making sure it's clear we've got something for everyone, even when everyone wants something different.

For decades, Bojangles was the best-kept secret in the restaurant industry. We were a powerful regional chain, founded in Charlotte, but for most of our 49 years, we stayed in our Southeastern stronghold. That's changing.

Today, we're in places like Las Vegas, New Jersey, and Texas. We're opening in California soon. Wherever we go, the story is the same: people love our bold flavors, scratch-made food, and Southern hospitality. When we open, we're consistently breaking sales records.

Our food is what sets us apart. If you haven't had one of our biscuits, you haven't had a real biscuit — we use 49 steps to make them. Our chicken tenders were recently rated the best in the industry, and they're so flavorful they don't even need sauce.

But if you want sauce, ours is the best, too.

We're doubling down on new tech — and Gen Z

Technology is also helping us grow. We're leading the industry with AI in the drive-thru, which enhances accuracy and frees up our team to focus on delivering exceptional customer service. But I don't think restaurants should ever eliminate the human touch. Hospitality matters. Guests still want to be greeted by name and have a hot cup of coffee poured at their table.

People are the heart of our business, though, and Gen Z is central to our growth strategy. The younger generation demands menu innovation, modern restaurant design, mobile ordering, kiosks, and delivery. We're giving them all of that.

Our new culinary center has enabled us to introduce new items, such as "Bird Dogs" — chicken tenders in a bun with bold sauces — as well as blueberry biscuits, cobblers, cookies, and breakfast burritos. At the same time, we're doubling down on fan favorites like our Cajun filet biscuit and seasoned fries.

Seventy percent of our guests still order the same thing every time. But younger customers want excitement — and if we want them to fall in love with Bojangles, we have to give them reasons to keep coming back.

We used to be a Southern secret. Now we're growing into a national brand, ready to serve new generations of customers wherever they are.