Bojangles Will Expand To CA, But Does The Quality Match The Hype? — Drive-Thru Diary

CALIFORNIA — When I heard the news earlier this month that Bojangles would be coming to Los Angeles County next year, my initial excitement about the Southern chain's westward expansion faded into the real question:

Can the food at this Southern chicken-and-biscuts joint live up to the hype?

In an era where the mom-and-pops of the world are increasingly crowded out by international mega businesses, regional chains enjoy cult status upheld by legions of devotees. When you can order mass-produced whatever from Amazon and have it delivered to any doorstep in the U.S. almost instantly, there's something special about the scarcity of a meal unavailable in wide swaths of the country.

California, of course, pretty much invented this paradigm with the famously western-only In-N-Out. Texas and its neighbors have Whataburger. And there's Dutch Bros and Zankou Chicken and Culver's and Wawa.

Just like the crowds that line up at that In-N-Out next to LAX, I too, make a point to check out whatever regional specialties await me on my journeys around the country. And I've found that the hype often doesn't live up to expectations.

I'm remembering back to 2016 when Dunkin' — at that point an exceedingly rare breed in the Golden State — returned to the Bay Area with much fanfare. People lined up outside the new location for its grand opening — something that my friend and I— Massachusetts natives like Dunkin' — delighted in.

"People are swarming Half Moon Bay for 'artisanal doughnuts' from the East Coast," he quipped.

Anyone who has eaten at Dunkin' knows how sorely those expectations were shattered. The Half Moon Bay store has since closed. And I can't tell you when because unlike when it opened, there was no media coverage of its unceremonious shuttering.

Love them or hate them (or their fries!), few can deny that In-N-Out's success comes both from its limited availability coupled with its dedication to quality. Indeed, In-N-Out's slow expansion is determined by choosing locations within driving distance of its distribution centers.

Bojangles announced that it signed a franchise agreement to bring 30 locations to CA over the next five years, with the first restaurant opening early next year in Los Angeles County. And the North Carolina company says more franchise opportunities are available throughout California, a sign that if things go well, Bojangles could soon become a regular fixture at shopping centers across the Golden State.

Bojangles is known for its Southern-style fried chicken, biscuits, sweet tea and sides such as Cajun beans and rice, pimento cheese, and sweet potato pie.

I unfortunately have never had a chance to try Bojangles, so I can't speak to the quality. But I will definitely be one of the early customers when the chain arrives in CA next year, looking to answer the question of whether the quality lives up to the hype.

Quick Bites:

As part of a celebration of National Pretzel Day, Wetzel's Pretzels is giving away free, no-strings-attached pretzels on Friday.

One California-born chain is expanding toward the other coast. Fatburger recently opened its first location in the New Orleans area as part of a plan to expand in Louisiana.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe announced this week that it's being sold to private equity firm Blackstone for $2 billion, shortly after the company's leadership revealed they believe the chain could expand almost fivefold to 5,000 locations.

Drive-Thru Diary is a journey of all that's delicious, noteworthy and downright weird in the world of fast food, quick bites and the culinary field at large. Got an idea? I'd love to hear from you: [email protected].