Jack Z. Fulk (November 30, 1932 – March 30, 2011) was an American businessman who co-founded the

Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits Bojangles OpCo, LLC., doing business as Bojangles (known as Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits until 2020), is an American regional chain of fast food restaurants that specializes in cajun-seasoned fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits that ...

fast food restaurant chain in 1977 in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

Life

Fulk was born to Charles and Lucille Hunter Fulk in

Davidson County, North Carolina Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,930. Its county seat is Lexington, and its largest city is Thomasville. Davidson County is included in the Winston-Salem, ...

, on November 30, 1932. Fulk initially operated a Hardee's

franchise Franchise may refer to: Business and law * Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees * Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...

Wilkesboro, North Carolina Wilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,687 at the 2020 census. The town is located along the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the town of North Wilkesbor ...

. While still working with Hardee's, Fulk began experimenting with recipes for biscuits during the mid-1970s. In 1977, Fulk and his

business partner A business partner is a commercial entity with which another commercial entity has some form of alliance. This relationship may be a contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, an ...

, Richard Thomas, opened a chicken restaurant that became the first

on West Boulevard in

. The first restaurant was a walk-in with no seating, but it specialized in chicken that was spicier than its competitors. Fulk also added his biscuits to the restaurant's menu, which increased sales approximately 60%. Fulk and Thomas opened a second Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits in 1978. Fulk retired from Bojangles in 1985, when the chain had reached 350 locations (there were more than 500 locations in eleven states, as of 2011). He eventually sold his stake in Bojangles, but continued to operate a franchise in

Jonesville, North Carolina Jonesville, originally called Allen's Settlement, is the oldest town in Yadkin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,285 at the 2010 census. The town grew by nearly 800 residents in 2001 when it merged with neighboring Arling ...

. Fulk died on March 30, 2011, at the age of 78.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fulk, Jack 1932 births 2011 deaths Fast-food chain founders American food industry businesspeople Businesspeople from Charlotte, North Carolina People from Davidson County, North Carolina 20th-century American businesspeople