Bojangles’ Inc. continues to expand its “restaurant of the future” prototype, with an opening scheduled soon in Greenville, S.C., the company said Tuesday in a first-quarter earnings release.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based chicken and biscuits chain, which will debut the new prototype in its hometown of Greenville’s Historic West End district next January, said aspects of the new design will be used in remodeling as well.
“The feedback we will gather from these locations will enable us to fine-tune the prototype so that we offer only the highest quality experience to our customers,” said Clifton Rutledge, Bojangles’ president and CEO, in a statement.
“We also have several remodels underway that include elements of the new design concept,” Rutledge said. “Our excitement for these projects is shared by our franchisees, and together we will take Bojangles’ to the next phase of its growth.”
For the first quarter ended March 26, Bojangles’ reported a net income decline of 2.9 percent, to $7.6 million, or 20 cents per share, from $7.8 million, or 21 cents per share, the previous year. Revenue rose 3 percent, to $131.5 million, from $127.6 million the previous year.
Systemwide same-store sales decreased 1.7 percent, with a decline of 3.5 percent at company-owned restaurants and a drop of 0.5 percent at franchised units. The company said same-store sales at company-owned stores included declines in transactions and mix, partially offset by menu price increases.
Rutledge said “challenges persist in our industry,” but Bojangles’ would stay the course.
“We remain confident in our positioning and ability to stay in front of significant trends through innovative product offerings and investments in our people and technology to ensure operational excellence,” he said.
As of March 26, Bojangles’ had 728 restaurants, primarily in the Southeast. Of those, 314 units were company-owned and 414 locations were franchised.