After shuttering eight franchised units in the first quarter of 2018, Bojangles’ plans to close more underperforming stores throughout the year.
This development comes after the quick-service chicken and biscuit chain reported same-store sales declines of 0.6% systemwide—with a 1.8% drop at company-owned units—for the quarter that ended April 1.
“We believe Bojangles’ is capable of much stronger performance,” James Kibler, the company’s interim CEO, said during its Q1 earnings call.
Closures of both company-operated and franchised units could “exceed those of recent years” in 2018 and beyond, according to John Jordan, the chain’s chief financial officer.
Bojangles’ also plans to pare down its menu to focus on core items, though executives did not reveal which “very low-volume items” would be axed. The dishes on the chopping block are complicated to execute, Kibler said, and removing them “helps us execute faster and better on the products that we sell significant quantities of.”
The snacking daypart from 2-5 p.m. was a bright spot for Bojangles’, with all other dayparts reporting declining revenue. The chain will be adding a two-for-$5 sandwich offer to boost its appeal among value-minded consumers.
Bojangles’ CEO Clifton Rutledge resigned in March, one day before the chain reported its 2017 earnings.
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