2026 FDD Issued Apr 20, 2026 Minnesota Commerce (CARDS) Checked Nov 3, 2026
Bojangles Franchise Cost (2026)
A Bojangles franchise costs an estimated $2,851,880 – $3,951,200 to open, according to Item 7 of the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). That total includes the $35,000 initial franchise fee (Item 5) and covers this format: Traditional free-standing Restaurant. Item 6 lists royalty: 4% of Gross Sales, subject to the conditions below.
- Total investment
- $2.85M – $3.95MItem 7 source and qualifications
- Franchise fee
- $35KItem 5 source and terms
- Royalty
- 4% of Gross SalesItem 6 conditions and fee bases apply
- Brand fund
- 1% of Gross SalesItem 6 conditions and fee bases apply
- Units (2025)
- 867Item 20 source and scope
- Franchise exit rate
- 1.3% / yrCalculated 3-year average; definition and source
What stands out about Bojangles
Building and site work make up the largest parts of Item 7's traditional Restaurant budget, and the table excludes the cost of acquiring or leasing real estate. A buyer using an existing site cannot assume that the free-standing estimate describes a conversion; the FDD discusses conversions separately without giving them the same table. The much lower Express total applies to a restaurant developed within another retail operation. Its construction needs and franchise fee differ, so those two ranges describe different projects rather than a single wide price range.
The marketing charges need to be read together. Bojangles requires spending on local marketing, but qualifying cooperative contributions count toward that obligation. The monthly advertising technology vendor amount also qualifies toward it. Adding all of those amounts as independent layers would overstate the required local marketing charge. The separate Marketing Development Fund contribution and royalty still apply to the traditional restaurant. Item 5 describes a limited development incentive that can temporarily reduce the royalty for qualifying developers, so the standard rate is not every owner's actual rate.
Item 19 separates full-size restaurants with the bone-in menu from Express restaurants and restricts both sales groups to units operating throughout the fiscal year. The selected average belongs to franchised full-size restaurants; the Express average is shown separately and cannot be used to describe the traditional opening format. Item 20 counts the broader U.S. outlet system, including units outside the continuous-operation sales sample. Its latest transfer total is much larger than the prior year's, which records ownership changes rather than new openings or closures.
What are the initial franchise fees and financial requirements for Bojangles?
Item 5 lists an initial franchise fee of $35,000 for Bojangles. Check the cited Item 5 for payment timing, discounts and format-specific terms.
The main traditional Restaurant fee is $35,000. A Bojangles Express Restaurant has a separate $20,000 franchise fee. Development agreements require a $10,000 development fee per committed Restaurant, credited toward that Restaurant's franchise fee if the FDD conditions are met. Item 5 also describes a conditional $2,500 site or opening extension fee and a limited 2026 development incentive with reduced fees for eligible developers; the main Item 7 table uses the standard traditional fee.
Source: Bojangles 2026 FDD, Item 5, PDF p. 17.
This record lists no minimum net worth or liquid-capital requirement for Bojangles, because no sourced figure has been recorded. Ask the franchisor for its current financial qualifications in writing.
How much does it cost to open a Bojangles franchise? (Item 7)
Source: Bojangles 2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 26.
Item 7 of Bojangles’s 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document estimates the total cost to open one traditional free-standing restaurant at $2,851,880 – $3,951,200. This total includes the initial franchise fee.
| Expense Category | Low ($) | High ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise fee | $35,000 | $35,000 |
| Insurance | $5,000 | $22,000 |
| Pre-opening salaries, training materials, travel and living expenses during initial training | $144,550 | $250,000 |
| Site selection | $100 | $10,000 |
| Building | $1,100,000 | $1,375,000 |
| Site work | $662,000 | $848,000 |
| Soft costs | $166,000 | $366,000 |
| Equipment, furniture, signage and fixtures | $686,000 | $886,000 |
| Initial inventory | $21,000 | $75,000 |
| Utility deposits and business licenses | $230 | $24,200 |
| Additional funds, 3 months | $32,000 | $60,000 |
| Total | $2,851,880 | $3,951,200 |
Other formats
| Format | Total investment |
|---|---|
| Bojangles Express Restaurant in another retail operation | $780,780 – $1,858,700 |
For comparison, the median high-end investment among 25 restaurants & food records without a source-review hold is $1,297,100.
Traditional Restaurant Item 7 Table No. 1 is on PDF page 26. Express Table No. 2 is on page 29 and uses a different franchise fee and buildout. Both printed totals exclude real-estate acquisition or leasehold costs. The traditional table assumes a free-standing Restaurant, not a conversion or smaller test building.
What ongoing royalties and fees does Bojangles charge? (Item 6)
Source: Bojangles 2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 22.
Item 6 of Bojangles’s 2026 FDD lists the charges below. Recurring charges and charges triggered by a transfer, renewal or other event have different conditions. Read each fee’s basis and notes before comparing rates.
How to read an Item 6 fee table.
| Fee Type | Amount / Rate | Payment Frequency | Notes & Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 4% of Gross Sales | Every period | The eligible development incentive in Item 5 temporarily reduces this rate for qualifying Restaurants. (Item 6, PDF p. 22) |
| Marketing Development Fund | 1% of Gross Sales | Every period | (Item 6, PDF p. 22) |
| Local Marketing Expenditure | 3% of Gross Sales less qualifying cooperative advertising | Every period | The separate digital-advertising vendor amount qualifies toward this requirement; cooperative contributions are credited toward it. (Item 6, PDF p. 22) |
| Local Marketing - Advertising Technology Vendors | $153 per month | Every period | Current per-Restaurant amount, credited toward the local marketing requirement rather than additional to it. (Item 6, PDF p. 22) |
| Cooperative Advertising | Varies | When it applies | Typically 2% of Gross Sales where a cooperative applies, credited against required local marketing spending. The FDD describes variable cooperative rules and possible exemptions. (Item 6, PDF p. 23) |
| Audit | Varies | When it applies | Deficiencies and interest, plus audit costs if an audit finds an understatement of 5% or more. (Item 6, PDF p. 23) |
| Interest | Varies | When it applies | Overdue amounts bear 1.5% interest per month compounded monthly or the legal maximum, whichever is less. (Item 6, PDF p. 23) |
| Transfer | $5,000 | When it applies | Per Restaurant when a covered controlling-interest transfer occurs. (Item 6, PDF p. 23) |
| Renewal | Varies | When it applies | 50% of the franchise fee in effect at renewal; Express agreements do not provide renewal rights. (Item 6, PDF p. 23) |
| New Product and Supplier Testing | Varies | When it applies | Reasonable evaluation expenses, estimated in the FDD at $4,800 to $12,900, if an alternate product or supplier is proposed. (Item 6, PDF p. 23) |
| Training - Optional Programs | Varies | When it applies | Then-current optional-program tuition, capped at $5,000; the FDD says no optional program is currently offered. (Item 6, PDF p. 23) |
| On-site Support | $2,500 per week | When it applies | Per person for requested additional on-site support. (Item 6, PDF p. 23) |
| Costs and Attorneys' Fees | Varies | When it applies | Conditional reimbursement if the franchisor prevails in agreement-enforcement litigation. (Item 6, PDF p. 24) |
| Reimbursement of Insurance Costs | Varies | When it applies | Cost of coverage and expenses if the franchisor procures insurance after franchisee noncompliance. (Item 6, PDF p. 24) |
| Indemnification | Varies | When it applies | Covered losses, expenses, and defense costs connected with franchise operations. (Item 6, PDF p. 24) |
| Taxes | Varies | When it applies | Reimbursement of applicable sales, gross-receipts, or similar taxes on payments to the franchisor, subject to the FDD exception. (Item 6, PDF p. 24) |
Explore annual fees and payback assumptions
This fee schedule cannot be reduced to the calculator’s simple sales-based formula. Enter your own assumptions and check them against the Item 6 terms.
Bojangles startup investment and modeled fees over 10 years
The required local marketing expenditure is reduced by qualifying cooperative advertising and includes the vendor charge, so adding all three as independent fees would double count spending. Other conditional charges depend on events and cannot be modeled from annual sales alone. See the fee amounts and definitions in Item 6 above. Open the calculator with your own assumptions.
Item 20: Bojangles franchised outlet history
Source: Bojangles 2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 79.
Item 20 Table 3 reports 591 franchised outlets at the end of 2025. The company-owned table reports a further 276 outlets. Our calculated average annual franchised exit rate is 1.3% across the 3 reported years, using the definition below.
| Year | Franchised at Start | Opened | Reported Exits | At End | Franchise Exit Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 511 | 34 | 13 | 532 | 2.5% |
| 2024 | 532 | 35 | 3 | 564 | 0.6% |
| 2025 | 564 | 31 | 4 | 591 | 0.7% |
Franchised units went from 511 to 591 over 3 years (+80).
Reported exits include terminations, non-renewals, franchisor reacquisitions and other cessations. A reacquired outlet may continue operating. How we calculate the exit rate. How to read the Item 20 outlet tables. Compare Bojangles’s exit rate with other brands.
128 units changed owners in 2025.
Table No. 3 all-state franchised totals are on PDF page 79. Table No. 2 transfer totals are on page 78. Table No. 4 company-operated totals are on page 80. These tables count U.S. outlets across Bojangles formats and are not the Item 19 full-year sales sample.
How much do Bojangles franchise owners make? (Item 19)
Source: Bojangles 2026 FDD, Item 19, PDF p. 68.
Item 19 of the 2026 FDD reports average Gross Sales, Franchised Full-Size Restaurants with Bone-In Chicken Menu of $2,457,841 (December 30, 2024 to December 28, 2025, 487 franchised full-size Restaurants with the bone-in chicken menu operated continuously during Fiscal Year 2025). Bojangles’s Item 19 reports sales but no profit, costs or owner pay. Rent, payroll, supplies, loan payments and Item 6 fees such as the royalty (4% of Gross Sales) come out of sales before an owner is paid, so these figures cannot show what an owner earns.
See every Bojangles Item 19 figure, with its period and sample.
Payback calculator (enter your own assumptions) Check any inputs against this record’s Item 7 startup costs and Item 6 fee rules.
How to interpret Bojangles’s Item 19 figures and sample limits.
How long is the Bojangles franchise agreement term?
Source: Bojangles 2026 FDD, Item 17, PDF p. 57.
The standard Bojangles franchise agreement runs 20 years, with renewal terms of 10 years.
The traditional Restaurant term can end earlier with the site lease. Item 17 describes two conditional additional ten-year terms. Express has a separate ten-year initial term and no renewal right.
How long does it take to open a Bojangles franchise? (Item 11)
Source: Bojangles 2026 FDD, Item 11, PDF p. 41.
Item 11 of the 2026 FDD states the time from locating an acceptable site and executing a Franchise Agreement to opening: approximately 15 months.
The estimate covers negotiation, documentation, permitting, and construction.
Franchises with a similar investment range
These published records are selected by proximity to Bojangles’s $2,851,880 low-end Item 7 investment, starting with Restaurants & Food. Formats, fees and source qualifications differ; the figures are not interchangeable budgets:
Compare other restaurants & food franchises
Sources
Bojangles Opco, LLC Franchise Disclosure Document, issued April 20, 2026, as filed with the Minnesota Commerce (CARDS). Read the source FDD PDF. How to get this FDD yourself.
- Item 5: cited PDF p. 17
- Item 6: cited PDF p. 22
- Item 7: cited PDF p. 26
- Item 19: cited PDF p. 68
- Item 20: cited PDF p. 79
- Agreement term (Item 17): cited PDF p. 57
Page references for Bojangles use the PDF viewer's digital page count, not printed page headers. Some viewers download the document instead of opening the referenced page.
If the state document viewer does not open, use Minnesota Commerce's public filing instructions to look up the filing by franchisor name and document date.
Document & verification changelog
- November 3, 2026: Source check completed against the recorded FDD.
- November 3, 2026: Initial cost profile published from the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (issued April 20, 2026).