Most of us are old enough to remember the viral Popeyes sandwich that set off the “fried chicken wars” between major chains in 2019.
While the chicken category in fast food still rose by 5.3% in 2025, this segment of the fast-food market is hard to differentiate oneself in given that there are only so many dishes one can make with fried chicken before straying away from what makes it a favorite and the high number of competitors in this space.
Yum! Brands-owned giant KFC has closed more than 300 of its stores across the U.S. in 2026, including 44 in California alone, while Miami-based Southern chicken chain Yardbird filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the start of September after having already made cost-cutting restaurant closures earlier in the year.
Bojangles Cajun fried chicken chain closes last two remaining Tallahassee stores
This week, Charlotte-based regional chain Bojangles has also been reported to close the last two remaining restaurants in the Florida capital of Tallahassee. The chain was founded in 1977 and specialized in chicken marinated in Cajun spices as well as buttermilk biscuits that it describes as being made through an intricate 49-step process.
While once operating a peak 900 stores across the U.S. and in countries including China and Honduras, Bojangles has followed the trend of its competitors by shedding underperforming locations over the last few years.
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The chicken chain exited Maryland entirely in 2024 and, more recently, closed stores in Kentucky and South Carolina. The bulk of the chain’s business is concentrated in the southeastern U.S. where it began, with over 600 of the stores spread across North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
What is happening with Bojangles in 2026
Locals in Tallahassee reported seeing “permanently closed” when they searched for the Bojangles stores in Park Avenue and North Monroe on Google. Both locations have also been removed from the Bojangles website.
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The chain itself could not be reached for comment on why it exited Tallahassee or its plans for the future. Without the Tallahassee stores, there are currently 13 Bojangles locations listed as operating across Florida.
Even with the closures, the chain is in a period of general expansion. Since the start of 2026, Bojangles has also opened new locations in Arizona, Michigan, New York, and New Jersey while also signaling that it could come to Iowa as a new market by 2028.
While its brand power and recognition is highly region-dependent, Bojangles has a strong base of diners who are loyal to it.
“When we initially launched this, we looked at some midsize markets like Tampa and Oklahoma City, then bigger cities like Houston and Dallas,” Brooks Speirs, the vice president of franchise sales at Bojangles, said to a news outlet earlier in the year. “While we’re happy with the results, we’ve definitely been more successful in those midsize markets because it’s easier to become more of a household name. It’s a lot cheaper to advertise in Des Moines than it is in Houston.”
