Latest news with #chickenchain
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bojangles signs 20-unit New York franchise deal
This story was originally published on Restaurant Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Restaurant Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Bojangles is coming back to New York City after a nearly four-decade absence, thanks to a 20-unit franchising agreement the chicken chain signed with Habib Hashimi, according to a Wednesday press release. The first unit under the agreement is in construction in East Flatbush, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, and is expected to open during the winter. The remaining units will be built over the next 10 years. The New York deal will help the Southern brand establish a major foothold in the Northeast just as its competitor Zaxby's looks to expand into Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Dive Insight: Bojangles, like other chicken chains, has grown steadily in recent years, with its unit count rising from 773 at the start of 2022 to 825 at the end of 2024, per its franchise disclosure document. The New York City market will provide high foot traffic and dense urban neighborhoods, which the chain said is ideal for introducing the brand's Southern flavors to an entirely new audience. Hashimi brings significant experience operating QSRs in New York and Connecticut, according to the press release. Bojangles also signed a 35-unit deal to open locations in New Jersey with an unspecified franchisee, according to the press release, which gives it a development target of about 55 units in the Northeast. The brand has relatively strong unit economics, according to its FDD, with average gross sales of about $2.4 million at its full-sized franchised locations, which comprise a majority of its store base. The increase in demand for chicken overall has helped propel growth across concepts spanning a wide range of culinary traditions. Korean chain Bonchon is looking to more than triple its U.S. unit count. Filipino chicken brand Jollibee has also announced ambitious franchising plans. The growth of Dave's Hot Chicken — a California brand with a menu anchored around a Nashville specialty — attracted a major investment from Roark Capital earlier this year. Raising Cane's and Wingstop saw their sales surpass KFC in the U.S. last year. Bojangles has carved out a menu niche for itself with a Southern menu and a focus on breakfast. The chain's FDD shows its full-size company-owned restaurants, a useful proxy for its franchise units, see about 36% of their sales in the breakfast daypart. According to the FDD, the chain targets locations 'with direct access to a major 'going-to-work' traffic artery, in order to benefit from Bojangles' significant breakfast business.' Recommended Reading Bojangles to install EV charging stations Sign in to access your portfolio
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
List of all the Nando's restaurants where you can get free food on A-level results day
PERI-PERI fans are in for a tasty treat – Nando's is giving away free food to students picking up their results this summer. The chicken chain is rolling out the offer across its restaurants in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. 4 4 It's part of the 'Results Day Dash', which rewards school and college students with a free quarter chicken or starter. How to claim your free chicken All you need to do is show your student ID and your results at the till, spend at least £7, and order to eat in or collect. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, A-level students can take advantage on Thursday 14 August 2025, while GCSE students can grab their free food on Thursday 21 August 2025. In Scotland, the giveaway runs for both Highers and National 5s on Tuesday 5 August 2025. Nando's says: 'Our Results Day Dash is back. Show your GCSE, A-Level, Highers or National 5 results and get a 1/4 Chicken or Starter on us.' They're not the only ones joining the celebrations. Full list of all the Nandos stores in the UK: Baker Street Balham Barking Bayswater, Beckton Bethnal Green Brixton Cabot Place Croydon Valley Leisure Park Dalston, Feltham Finsbury Park Goodmayes Retail Park High Street Kensington Harrow (Station Road) Hounslow Ilford Kilburn Kingsbury Mile End Park Royal Shepherd's Bush South Harrow Stratford Tooting Walthamstow Wembley Wembley Outlet Centre Wembley Park Whitechapel Wood Green Bristol Aspects Leisure Park Fareham Luton Luton- Hatters Way Retail Park Oxford- Gateway Slough- High Street and Queensmere Watford- High Street Birmingham- New Street Birmingham- Broad Street Birmingham- Star City More than just Nando's Krispy Kreme is set to give away free doughnuts to students showing their results. Pizza Express is serving up a free dessert with any main from Monday, August 4, to Sunday, August 17. Côte Brasserie in Bristol is offering free Steak Frites or a vegan burger with an adult main. Frankie & Benny's serving free pizza. The 'best Nando's' that has views of the tallest tower in the world Bella Italia is giving away a free starter and dessert or 30 per cent off food. Banana Tree is dishing out free pad Thai. Bill's is offering free desserts. Byron Burgers is serving a Proper Burger on the house. Las Iguanas is handing out free churros. Wagamama is boosting its student discount to 25 per cent. Bird & Blend is pouring free summer drinks. Zizzi is offering surprise giveaways that could even cover your whole meal. In Scotland, Wagamama is also giving students 25 per cent off post-results with no minimum spend. All offers are only valid on the day you receive your results, so be sure to check the Nando's website to confirm which restaurants are taking part before heading out. 4
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
KFC knocked out of top 3 chicken chain in the US by growing rival
Raising Cane's has knocked KFC out of the top three chicken chains in the US. The Louisiana-based restaurant has become the third-largest chicken chain in the US by sales, behind Chick-fil-A and Popeyes. KFC now ranks as the fifth-largest chain, also trailing behind Wingstop, according to the latest Technnomic Top 500 restaurant chain list. With over 900 restaurants in 42 states and $5.1 billion in 2024 revenue, Raising Cane's has been rapidly expanding and plans to open about 100 locations this year. The 28-year-old business said skyrocketing sales were helped by a 10.8 percent increase in traffic last year, even as Americans pulled back on their restaurant spending. Out of all chains featured on the list, Raising Cane's ranked 18th overall, 10 spots higher than what it was last year. However, Raising Cane's founder Todd Graves is hoping for the chain to crack the top 10, and make more than $10 billion in annual revenue. 'All indicators say that we should get there before the end of this decade. We're climbing the ladder slowly, but we're humble about it,' co-CEO AJ Kumaran told CNBC. Raising Cane's earnings, however, were not enough to overtake McDonald's or Starbucks despite both chains' consistent recent revenue losses. The restaurant's menus have hardly changed since the first location opened in 1996 near Louisiana State University. It's known for offering classics like chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and signature sauce. Raising Cane's is not looking to change its ways anytime soon even though chicken chains have been upping the ante on value meal wars. 'We do not get into value play. We do not get into limited-time offers. When our customers pull into the drive-thru or walk through the doors, they immediately know what to expect,' Kumaran said. Chicken chains have had a surge in popularity, with nationwide sales spiking 9 percent in 2024. Its national per capita consumption is now expected to hit 104 pounds, over 25 percent higher than last year. 'I think it's a change in people's diets and their mindsets. It's still a cheaper alternative than where beef prices are,' Andrew Sharpee, co-leader of AlixPartners' restaurants, hospitality and travel practice, told CNBC. Chicken also comes in a variety of forms, and several restaurant chains' chicken varies depending on recipes. 'It's come a long way, right? Chicken is not this heavily processed, frozen-to-fryer product. It's fresh, battered in stores,' Sharpee said. Chicken chains have been highly competitive due to its success, including Bojangles, which launched Breakfast Bo-Ritos days after sharing its interest in exploring the idea of selling the business. The Bo-Ritos were the starting point for a war with Taco Bell, a Mexican chain that's in its 'crispy chicken era.' Popeye's also sparked a war with McDonald's by adding chicken wraps to its menu just a month before the return of the fast food empire's snack wraps. However, Kumaran insisted Raising Cane's is still the 'chicken finger meal experts,' calling it a 'lifestyle.' 'I do think simplicity is kind of the starting point. From a drive-thru perspective, they're one of the most efficient operators in the business. Really, Chick-fil-A is the only one that's even close to that,' said R.J. Hottovy from The success has gotten so impressive that Hottovy had no problem comparing Raising Cane's to Chipotle, one of the most successful fast food chains in the world. 'Maybe you saw a long line out the door at Chipotle, but you were willing to wait for it because you can get through the line quickly,' he said. 'And I think we've got a similar, similar phenomenon going on with Raising Cane's and some of the other hot chicken chains where sometimes there's long lines, but they've set up the system to move quickly.' Sarah Snook stopped by Raising Cane's restaurant in Times Square after winning her first Tony Award Only 3 percent of the eateries are franchisee-operated, which is the complete opposite of most of its primary competitors. 'When you get to a certain size, franchisee growth becomes a way to fund future expansion, so it's unique that [Cane's] is able to do this,' Hottovy told CNBC. 'I think part of it is the fact that they do have superior unit economics, compared to the rest of the category.' It's been unafraid to expand to populated areas like its best-performing restaurant in Times Square, and bases location destinations on things like traffic and distance from significant establishments. 'I think they've done a great job in terms of picking the best locations. That gives them access to these potential high repeat visitors,' Hottovy said. 'They're pulling in across all demographic groups, skewing towards a higher household income, but really doing a good job kind of front and center with a lot of consumers.'
