The Charlotte Ledger
The Charlotte Ledger Podcast
Bo-Berries and other Bojangles innovations, with Tom Boland
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Bo-Berries and other Bojangles innovations, with Tom Boland

Bojangles chief marketing officer Tom Boland on sports marketing, data analytics, menu creations and the company's expansion strategy

What started as a small Charlotte restaurant in 1977 has since grown into a beloved brand with over 800 locations across 17 states, known for its fried chicken, biscuits and sweet tea.

That’s right, we’re talking about Bojangles.

Tom Boland is the chief marketing officer of Bojangles. He’s responsible for marketing the chicken chain’s classics — including the Bo-Berry biscuit — as well as its new ideas. Before joining Bojangles in 2023, Boland worked with big names including Barstool Sports, WarnerMedia, and the WWE.

In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Ledger editor Tony Mecia talks with Boland about how Bojangles stays relevant in a fiercely competitive industry, how it innovates their menu and how it is expanding beyond the Southeast. They also discuss:

  • The magic of the “Bo-Berry” (and what a Bo-Berry is).

  • How the company uses data like in the movie “Moneyball” to make informed decisions.

  • How different parts of the country perceive Bojangles’ Southern menu as the company expands outside the South.

  • How Bojangles has turned customers’ menu hacks — like putting chicken supremes into hot dog buns — into standard menu items.

  • Why sports, including professional wrestling and football, is such a big part of Bojangles’ marketing.

  • Why Bojangles has a “cult-like following.”

  • How things are going with “Bo-linda,” the drive-thru’s AI-powered chatbot.

We hope you enjoy the conversation with Tom Boland.

The Charlotte Ledger Podcast is produced by Lindsey Banks.


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The Charlotte Ledger
The Charlotte Ledger Podcast
We talk with Charlotte leaders about important and interesting issues, with an eye toward making you smarter, telling you things you don’t know and introducing you to people with insights about trends in Charlotte.