Poll: Hoosiers would most like to see a Bojangles location in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — What business or brand do you wish your state had but currently doesn’t?

That’s the question that MarketBeat asked more than 3,000 people in a recent poll. In the state of Indiana, Hoosiers want Indiana to have a location of a famous fast-food restaurant chain known for its southern chicken and biscuits.

According to a news release from the financial media company, Indiana residents want to see a Bojangles location in the Hoosier state. The three closest Bojangles locations are in the Columbus, Ohio area, including one west of the city, one in Delaware, Ohio and one in Zanesville, Ohio.

Bojangles is a southern chicken franchise that first began in 1977. The first restaurant opened in Charlotte, North Carolina and serves up “wholesome and delicious comfort food.”

However, the Bojangles brand seems to be aware of the demand in the Indianapolis area. The chain’s restaurant franchising website has an Indianapolis page where officials state they are eager to bring the franchise to Central Indiana.

“Bojangles offers exclusive first-to-market franchise opportunities in Indiana with 800+ existing locations nationwide, featuring sought-after Southern-style chicken and breakfast menu that drives significant morning sales before competitors open,” the website states. “Bojangles believes that customers will embrace our homemade Southern Style cooking as they have in other locations in the past.”

The poll read that other brands that Hoosiers want to see brought to Indiana include El Pollo Loco, a West Coast chain famous for its fire-grilled citrus-marinated chicken. H-E-B, a popular grocery store chain in Texas, is also on Indiana residents’ radar for expansion.

In the Midwest, other states wanted the following brands to be open in their respective states:

• Illinois: Whataburger
• Michigan: Big 5 Sporting Goods
• Ohio: In-N-Out Burger
• Kentucky: El Pollo Loco

The release said that the study is based on an online panel survey of 3,011 respondents in September. The survey was conducted to identify which chain brands residents in each state in the United States would most like to see open locally.