Chicken chain Bojangles to make Long Island return by end of 2026, franchisee says

Southern chicken chain Bojangles is slated to make its Long Island return by the end of 2026, after exiting the region about 20 years ago.

A Farmingville restaurant will open Nov. 30 or in December, said franchisee Habib Hashimi. Construction was finished three weeks ago, and the restaurant has received all building approvals, except the certificate of occupancy from the Town of Brookhaven.

"We're just waiting for the C.O., but the store's in ready condition," Hashimi said.

Located at 1019 Horseblock Rd., the Farmingville restaurant will occupy a 2,806-square-foot building with a drive-thru. The eatery will open with 80 full- and part-time employees, Hashimi said.

In August, he told Newsday that the restaurant would open in late September, but Wednesday, he said the opening had been pushed back a few months due to some delays in getting Brookhaven approvals.

The Jericho resident plans to open another Bojangles restaurant on Long Island, in East Meadow, in 2028. The drive-thru eatery, which would be at 1600 Hempstead Tpke., would be in a space that was formerly occupied by a TD Bank.

Hashimi told Newsday in August that the East Meadow restaurant would open in the first quarter of 2028, but now he says he is unsure in which quarter the eatery will open, due to the time it takes to get through the Town of Hempstead's building approval process.

A Hempstead representative did not immediately respond to Newsday's requests for comment.

North Carolina-based Bojangles reestablishing a Long Island presence is part of the fast-growing chain's push to expand beyond the Southeast, where Bojangles is primarily known.

The fast-food chain had a brief presence in the New York market, including a Long Island restaurant in Hempstead, in the 1980s. Bojangles also had another Long Island restaurant, in Kings Park, for a short time about 20 years ago, Smithtown Planning Director Peter Hans told Newsday in November 2025.

Hashimi's company, Hashimi Holding Corp., entered a franchise deal with Bojangles in August 2025 to bring the fast-food chain back to the New York metro area by opening 21 restaurants in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island over 10 years. About six months ago, he signed a Bojangles deal to open five additional restaurants, he said.

His first Bojangles opened in Brooklyn's East Flatbush neighborhood in January.

"So far, the community has embraced us. We have our regulars and I think that the community loves the breakfast that we have, because breakfast is doing better and better every month," Hashimi said.

He will open a second Bojangles in Brooklyn, in Bushwick, in February and he is in lease negotiations for a space in Jamaica, Queens, he said. 

Evolving tastes

Founded in 1977 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bojangles is known for its chicken sandwiches, fried chicken and Bo-Berry biscuits.

Of the more than 890 Bojangles restaurants in 24 states, 68% are franchises.

Since 2023, Bojangles has been pushing growth into new markets.  

Bojangles opened 43 restaurants in 2025, including its first eateries in Las Vegas and Houston, and a return to New Jersey. By the end of 2026, about 45 new restaurants will have opened, including Bojangles' first locations in Austin, Texas; Oklahoma City; and Phoenix.

Bojangles expects to exceed 900 restaurants in 2027, spokeswoman Allyson Campbell said in an email.

But the chain now plans to focus on expanding in markets where it has recently established a presence, rather than entering new markets, she said.

"Growing in markets where we've recently arrived lets us build awareness, make Bojangles more convenient for guests, support our franchise partners and become part of the community. That creates a strong foundation for long-term growth," she said.

Since Bojangles' founding, its breakfast has been a strong seller in the South, with about 40% of sales in the Carolinas now occurring before 11 a.m., she said.

In the chain's newer markets, breakfast accounts for roughly 25% to 30% of sales.

Bojangles' menu has been modified in newer markets "in recent years to reflect today's consumer preferences for portability, convenience and bold flavor," Campbell said.

In newer markets, hand-breaded boneless options, such as Bo's Chicken Tenders and chicken sandwiches, have been added to menus, while bone-in chicken has been removed.