Bojangles Just Made the EV Pit Stop Worth Looking Forward To
HOSPITALITY
New electric vehicle chargers at Bojangles in Savannah, Ga.
There's a new reason to pull off the highway at a Bojangles, and it has nothing to do with how good the biscuits smell.
The iconic Southern chain has officially opened its first EV charging station in Savannah, Georgia, kicking off what it's calling the "charge-and-dine" experience. It's a simple but compelling idea: plug in your car, sit down, eat something delicious, and drive away with a full stomach and a full battery. No wasted time. No separate detour to a charging-only station in a bleak parking lot somewhere.
Southern Hospitality Meets the Electric Age
Bojangles has always been about more than fast food. Since opening its first location in Charlotte in 1977, the brand has built its identity around bold flavors, scratch-made biscuits, and a genuine sense of welcome. The new EV initiative is an extension of that same ethos, the idea that a stop on the road should actually feel like a break, not a chore.
As CIO Richard Del Valle put it: "With EV charging, time becomes an asset. We're turning that stop into something meaningful: a chance to relax, refuel and enjoy a true Bojangles experience. This is about more than charging vehicles, it's about redefining the stop along the way."
That reframing matters. EV drivers know the current reality: charging infrastructure is growing, but it's still inconsistent, and the experience of waiting at a standalone charger isn't exactly inviting. Bojangles is betting that pairing reliable charging with a real meal is the upgrade drivers didn't know they needed.
Reliable by Design
The Savannah hub was built in partnership with XLR8 America, a national EV charging infrastructure company, and Energy and Environmental Design Services. The stations offer both Level 2 and Level 3 charging speeds, medium and high, with over 97% uptime. That last number matters more than people might realize. A charger that's down when you need it isn't a convenience, it's a liability. Bojangles and XLR8 designed this with dependability front and center.
XLR8 America CEO Frank O'Connor described the partnership's guiding principle simply: "Charge where you park, not park where you charge. When a driver pulls in for a Bo-Berry Biscuit and their battery tops off while they dine, that's not a coincidence, that's the charge-and-dine experience made real."
This Is Just the Beginning
Savannah is the first stop on a much longer road. Bojangles has plans for a national rollout, bringing EV charging to restaurants across key markets throughout the country. With more than 870 locations across 23 states, the brand has the footprint to make a meaningful dent in the charging landscape, not just for its own customers, but for EV adoption broadly.
Quick-service restaurants are increasingly where daily life happens. People don't just eat there, they stop there. Bojangles is simply making those stops work harder. In an era where efficiency and experience both matter, that's a combination that's hard to argue with.
The charge-and-dine era has officially started. And honestly? It's about time.