50 Great Ideas

Fried chicken flies the coop

As a pizza franchisee, Pat Landon knew that delivery service could add up to big bucks. He and his son wanted to do the same with fried chicken when they became Bojangles franchisees in the Augusta, Georgia, suburbs. Within an 8-minute drive of their four stores, there are 5,186 homes with hungry families inside.

“I toyed with the idea for a couple of years, but didn’t have the packaging piece in place,” says Landon. When Bojangles came out with its new Big Box last summer, that piece fell into place, and Bo to Go was born.

The new packaging resembles a cardboard suitcase into which fit smaller boxes of chicken, drinks, sides and paper goods; a temperature divide separates hot and cold items. “We immediately developed car toppers, installed a dedicated terminal for delivery orders and reconfigured operations,” explains Landon. Through word of mouth and a few promotional materials, business shot up 11 percent in seven weeks, all thanks to Bo to Go. Landon is getting ready to expand the service to a second store and corporate is interested in taking the idea to other franchisees.

#50 | Using your noodle

#49 | Eat a pita, feed a kid

#48 | Ask the staff chaplain

#47 | I’ll be calling you

#46 | Rolling in dough

#45 | Fried chicken flies the coop

#44 | A penny for your calories

#43 | Better than a lobster bib

#42 | Bending the bento

#41 | Billboard redux

#40 | Dining at the fountain of youth

#39 | Building a better box

#38 | Roll out the barrel

#37 | Mochi Madness

#36 | A toast to Belgium

#35 | Screening employees on the screen

#34 | An Olive Garden customer sat here

#33 | Setting the e-table

#32 | The buck strolls here

#31 | Gin game

#30 | Childhood revisited

#29 | Moveable feast

#28 | Certified gluten free

#27 | Buy a car, eat a meal

#26 | Locating the best Happy Hour

#25 | Local broadcast

#24 | Tabletop taps

#23 | Double the pleasure

#22 | The three Bs

#21 | Cocktails to amuse

#20 | Fans of the grape

#19 | Whole animal accessorizing

#18 | Translucent menus

#17 | Have oven will cater

#16 | Allergic interaction

#15 | Greener produce

#14 | Competing to win at weight loss

#13 | Space saver

#12 | Test kitchen=test market

#11 | Be my guest

#10 | Plug in and eat up

#9 | Rx for pilferers

#8 | Hands free—and clean

#7 | Some like it too hot

#6 | Chicken fried steak gets its day

#5 | The staff that reads together…

#4 | Twinkle toast

#3 | Stick with this

#2 | Stamp of approval

#1 | From seed to fork

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Fried chicken flies the coop

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