Snacks can turn into a meal with a four-piece combo for $7.99. | Photos courtesy of Bojangles
Bojangles is introducing a new way to snack with the launch of Bo’s Chicken Rippers Monday. The limited-time offer taps into two of Gen Z’s top cravings—snacking and sauces—and provides an interactive eating experience as a bonus.
“We’ve been focusing on Gen Z habits and for years, it’s been about boneless chicken and sauce,” said Michael Krimmer, senior director of culinary and menu innovation for the Charlotte, North Carolina-based fast-food chain.
About two years ago, Bojangles identified a gap in the menu. “We didn’t have a lot of snacking options, so we started out with something called Bird Dogs—taking an existing protein, our Chicken Supremes, and put them in a hot dog bun. It was wildly successful and we had a lot of consumers buying them at 3 in the afternoon,” said Krimmer.
Late last year, the chain followed up with snackable Bo Bites, bite-sized whole-muscle chicken tenders marinated in the chain’s signature Southern seasonings and hand-breaded with a crispy coating. Available in four-piece orders and up, they come paired with a choice of seven sauces and are now on the permanent menu at all 876 locations.
“We asked ourselves, ‘How can we promote these in a more fun, unique, customizable way that really plays up the sauce element?’ That’s how Bo’s Chicken Rippers were born,” said Krimmer.
The chef happened to stumble upon Martin’s party-size potato rolls at a tailgating event and he thought they would make the perfect carrier for Bo Bites. He liked the soft, pillowy texture and subtle sweetness. The company was about to launch pre-sliced party rolls that come “hinged” on one side so a bite-size piece of chicken can be tucked inside without slitting the roll in half.
Here’s where the rippable, dunkable interactive part comes in.
The mini rolls bake up in a slab with their sides touching. When customers order a four-piece serving of Bo’s Chicken Rippers ($4.99), they get four rolls sandwiching four Bo Bites. “Our crew members will gently open two outer sides and stuff a bite into each roll, leaving the rolls attached and still hinged in the middle,” said Krimmer. “Then it goes in a clamshell to protect it.” The eater grabs one little sandwich, rips it free from its neighbor and dips it into a sauce.
Bo’s Chicken Rippers are designed for sharing in a 20-pack with five sauces.
An order of four Chicken Rippers comes with one sauce, but customers can purchase additional flavors. Choices include Honey Mustard (the best seller), House-Made Ranch, Creamy Buffalo, BBQ, Bo’s Special Sauce, Peach Honey Pepper and Jalapeño Ranch.
Bo’s Chicken Rippers also come in a shareable 20-piece pack with five sauces ($19.99) for a rip ‘n dip party. “We strongly encourage guests to become their own sauce artists, and many fans mix together more than one to create their own flavor experience,” said Krimmer.
The LTO, which runs for eight weeks, is relatively easy to execute. Bojangles brought in only one new SKU—the party-size potato rolls—and no new equipment or prep techniques had to be learned. “We simplified the whole thing and really played up the interactivity,” said Krimmer, putting serving and saucing in the hands of the customer instead of the staff.
As for the name, “dippers and dunkers already exist, and we really wanted to play into the fact that the consumer is the one that rips these apart,” he added. Bo’s Chicken Rippers it is.
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