Bojangles to open second Polk location

Bojangles is planning a second restaurant in Polk County, with the next location slated for North Lakeland in mid-2027. A company spokeswoman said in a May 28 email to The Ledger that the restaurant is expected to open at 5750 U.S. 98 N., in a vacant building near Daughtery Road and a Walmart. The site most recently housed Charley’s Cheesesteaks, according to The Ledger’s report. The opening would follow Bojangles’ first current Polk County restaurant, which operates at 40235 U.S. 27 in Davenport, according to the chain’s location page. The plan adds another stop in Bojangles’ push into Central Florida. The Ledger reported that the North Lakeland restaurant would be the second current location in Polk County, after the Davenport-address store that opened in Haines City on July 29. The company’s website lists that location as open 24 hours at 40235 U.S. 27. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) ### Where exactly would the new restaurant go? The proposed Bojangles site is at 5750 U.S. 98 N. in North Lakeland, in front of a Walmart and near Daughtery Road. The Ledger reported that the building is vacant and previously operated as Charley’s Cheesesteaks. The same report said the property had an earlier life as a Pizza Hut. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) The location matters because it gives Bojangles a second foothold in Polk County without building from the ground up. The Ledger reported that the structure already has a drive-thru and patio seating, which could shorten the path from planning to opening. ### What work is planned for the former Charley’s building? (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) Most of the renovation work is expected to happen inside the existing building, according to The Ledger’s report. The outlet said new exterior cladding is also planned, but that the core of the structure is not expected to be torn down. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) That approach suggests a conversion rather than a full redevelopment. The report did not list a construction cost, and Bojangles did not publicly provide one in the material available online. ### Has the city approved anything yet? City of Lakeland records reviewed by The Ledger showed that no permits had been pulled for the project as of the report’s publication on May 31. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) The newspaper said project representatives had met about two months earlier with the city’s Development Review Team. That means the site has been discussed with city staff, but the public record cited in the report did not yet show permit filings. The company spokeswoman’s statement to The Ledger gave the opening target as mid-2027. ### How does this fit into Bojangles’ Polk County footprint? Bojangles’ current Polk County presence centers on the Davenport-address restaurant at 40235 U.S. 27. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) The company’s location page lists that store as operating in Davenport, while The Ledger reported that the restaurant opened July 29 and was, at the time, the only current Bojangles in Polk County. The Ledger also reported that Bojangles had operated in Polk County before, with earlier locations in Winter Haven and Lakeland that later closed. The nearest other current restaurants, the paper said, are in Poinciana, Kissimmee and Clermont. ### What happens next before customers can order there? (locations.bojangles.com) Mid-2027 is the company’s current target for opening the North Lakeland restaurant, according to the spokeswoman’s May 28 email cited by The Ledger. Before that, city filings and permits would be the clearest public signs that construction is moving ahead at 5750 U.S. 98 N. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) The next concrete milestone to watch is a permit application with the City of Lakeland for the former Charley’s Cheesesteaks site. As of May 31, The Ledger reported, that filing had not yet appeared. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com)