Inside Bojangles’ new $5.7M Charlotte HQ, with nods to its past and future
Bojangles debuted its $5.7 million headquarters Tuesday in south Charlotte down the road from its prior home office, as the iconic chicken-and-biscuit chain looks to expand across the country.
The 61,448-square-foot corporate support center at 500 Forest Point Circle is less than 2 miles from the former 23,693-square-foot office at 9432 Southern Pine Blvd. “It was dark, it wasn’t modern, and it didn’t have the right technology,” CEO Jose Armario, 65, told The Charlotte Observer on Tuesday before an opening celebration.
Bojangles CEO Jose Armario kicked off the opening celebration before a biscuit-cutting ceremony asking the crowd, ”What time is it?”
“It’s Bo Time!” the group yelled, echoing the company’s slogan.
The new headquarters includes space for Bojangles’ employees working on menu and equipment innovation, kitchen design and quality assurance.
“It’s not just an office. This is about a new chapter in our journey,” Armario said. “This new support center represents more than square footage. It’s a bold investment in our future.”
Bojangles occupies about two-thirds of the space, so there’s room to grow, Armario told The Charlotte Observer. About 233 employees work from the office on a hybrid schedule and about half are out in the field, Armario said.
Bojangles announced plans for the move in September 2022 and began moving in June 16. Since 2019, Bojangles has grown from more than 600 restaurants in 12 states to over 800 in 20 states.
“This building is more than just brick and mortar, it’s a launchpad for what’s next,” Armario said.
Bojangles may be looking to the future but remains rooted in its Charlotte history.
“Bojangles is more than a beloved brand, it’s a Charlotte success story,” Mayor Pro Tem Dante Anderson said during the opening. “We’re proud they continue to invest in our people, our economy and our future, and we’re honored they continue to call the Queen City home.”
Here are four things to know about Bojangles’ new Charlotte headquarters:
Bojangles is now under one roof
Bojangles previously had separate corporate and culinary training spaces in Charlotte. Now, it’s all under one roof.
A timeline on the lobby wall shows how Bojangles started, and “where we’re going,” said Lindsey Halson, senior director of training and development who was guiding our tour. That flows into the training facility.
The training wing of the Bojangles support center pays homage to the 48-year-old company’s founders, Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas. Founders Hallway in the training center includes photos and information about both men, and the large conference room is named for Thomas.
With a 2,500-square-foot kitchen, employees can train, work on menu innovation and quality assurance.
There’s a 75-plus-seat room that’s tech-integrated with a window view into the kitchen. Nearby are three smaller, breakout conference rooms across the hall.
“We can do everything in-house, which we’ve never been able to do before,” Halson said.
Classroom training is done in the conference rooms and hands-on training is done in the kitchen, which includes all of Bojangles’ most up-to-date equipment and floor plan.
“All new products happen in there as well,” Halson said. Franchisees and management from across the country will train here as well.
The Biscuit Cafe at Bojangles headquarters
To the right of the front lobby is the Biscuit Cafe, the multi-functional employee breakroom. This cafe is where employees can relax for lunch, or even play a game of pool.
But it’s also space for hosting events and team meetings with cameras to broadcast programs to workers virtually.
It’s also where Bojangles offers taste-testing of new menu items for employees. Above the counter bar in the center of the room are retractable heat lamps.
Lighted Bojangles’ menu boards are up-to-date with real-time offerings, Halson said.
Wide-open spaces
The new space is more cohesive, said Kathryn Murrow, director of leadership development and eLearning.
Cubicles topped with windows are shorter than the old building in an open floor spaced. It’s easier to ask a co-worker question instead of having to walk through a maze to find someone, she said.
“What I like is there’s more of a sense of community,” said Murrow of Hickory who started working for Bojangles nine months ago. “You’re closer so it makes the collaboration a lot easier.”
It also highlights the corporate culture of Bojangles, she said.
“We’ve been eating lunch together,” Murrow said. “It’s just been a really fun environment here.”
There also are comfortable gathering spaces for collaboration, as well as different-sized, high-tech meeting rooms with menu names like Cajun Fries. And there’s a mother’s/wellness room.
The old office had walls almost to the ceiling and there were more closed offices, Halson said.
“We’ve only been in it for a week, and we’ve been able to get stuff done so much more quickly because people are right there,” Halson said.
Spotlight on art at Bojangles
Artwork throughout the building was commissioned by visual arts students from UNC Charlotte and Northwest School of the Arts in west Charlotte, Halson said.
“We said, ‘What is your version of Bo Time?’ ”
Over a dozen framed images in the lobby mix Bojangles themes with the artists’ interpretation, such as a Japanese Fry House, a museum and a music venue with a mechanical chicken ride instead of a bull.
Bojangles’ new headquarters connects the modern world with Bojangles’ history, Halson said.
A mural in the cafe by Charlotte artist and Nigerian native Oluwanbe Amodu used Araism technique — an African painting technique developed by Nigerian artist Mufu Onifade — to reflect on Bojangles’ Carolina roots.
“It represents all the different backgrounds of our customers,” Halson said.
About Bojangles
Founded in 1977, Bojangles has 266 company-operated locations and 561 franchised units.
In 2019, the fast-food chain was sold for $539 million to two New York firms, Durational Capital Management LP and The Jordan Company L.P.
A Wall Street Journal report this month said Bojangles is working with investment bankers on a possible $1.5 billion sale. Bojangles officials have declined to comment on the report, including on Tuesday, saying conversation will remain focused on the brand’s commitment to its hometown and future growth plans in the new space.
This year, Bojangles has debuted in Las Vegas, Houston and New Jersey, according to Bojangles, with expansion plans also in California.
It’s all part of Bojangles’ major store expansion since 2020, adding more than 100 franchise locations in new territories such as Columbus, Ohio; Orlando, Florida; Dallas and Austin, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona.
Bojangles also has opened over 40 restaurants in Love’s Travel Stops in the Midwest and Southeast.
Armario’s goal, he told The Charlotte Observer, is to be in every state in the continental U.S.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story had an incorrect spelling for Jack Fulk , one of Bojangle’s founders.
This story was originally published June 25, 2025 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Inside Bojangles’ new $5.7M Charlotte HQ, with nods to its past and future."
