Chicken chain Bojangles appears to be eyeing this Johnson County location
North Carolina-based chicken chain Bojangles is attempting to enter the Kansas City metro, starting with Overland Park.
Bojangles has applied for a tenant finish permit at 12005 Metcalf Ave., according to city documents, which would allow alterations to a leased space. Planners with the city confirmed that they had received the application from the fast-food chain.
Bojangles’ application is under review and must be approved by the city before the business can open. The chain did not respond to The Star’s requests for comment.
The Southern chain — selling biscuits, sweet tea, chicken sandwiches and more — has roughly 800 locations in 17 states, according to its website.
In a May press release, the chain said it intended to break into several markets this year, Kansas City being one of them. Other targeted markets included New York and Denver.
“This next wave of growth further reinforces Bojangles’ shift from a regional favorite to a fast-growing, nationwide player in the QSR space,” the company said at the time.
Bojangles has no other current locations in the metro, but this isn’t its first appearance in the area.
In 1985, Bojangles opened its first metro spot at 4520 Blue Parkway, thanks to then-restaurant franchisee Dan White and according to The Star’s records. The location is now a Sonic Drive-In.
It’s unclear how long Bojangles was open at that spot.
More than a year ago, 151 Coffee applied to open at the 12005 Metcalf Ave. space but never opened there. The Texas-based coffee chain has a spot now at 9180 Metcalf Ave.