Charlotte-based quick-service chain Bojangles launched two new versions of its chicken sandwich with an ad campaign featuring former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and country music singer Lee Brice.
The sandwiches will include creamy ColeSlaw and topped either by barbecue or Carolina Gold sauces. They will be available for a limited time.
Bojangles’s ads feature Earnhardt and Brice splitting the sandwiches so they can get a taste of each one.
The move comes as the privately held restaurant operator is shifting away from some traditions. New restaurant locations do not serve bone-in chicken, which has been the norm since Bojangles started in 1977. And the company has opened some locations that stop serving some breakfast items at 2 p.m.
Also, the chain formed a partnership with Boone-based Appalachian Mountain Brewery to produce Bojangles Hard Sweet Tea, an alcoholic beverage sold at various convenience stores and supermarkets.
Private-equity companies Jordan Co. and Durational Capital bought Bojangles for $593 million in 2019. Most of the chain’s 800 restaurants are run by franchisees and expansion is occurring in new markets in Florida, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas.