3 out-of-town eateries are landing soon in Phoenix

A California icon and a North Carolina classic are among the Valley's impending arrivals.

March 19, 2024

North Carolina chain Bojangles is bringing 20 locations to Phoenix. Bojangles

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Phoenix is full of transplants. Whether for school, work or the Valley's mild winters, people flock here from all over the country, and the businesses they know and love follow. Soon, three out-of-town concepts including a California icon and a North Carolina classic will make their first appearances in the Valley. Here's what we know so far.

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Bojangles is known for its crunchy fried chicken, biscuits and sweet tea.

Bojangles

20 locationsFounded in 1977 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bojangles now has locations across the country. But currently, there are none in Arizona. That's about to change, big time. The company announced an expansion into the state with 20 restaurants planned for the Phoenix area. According to Bojangles' chief development officer Jim Cannon, "consumer demand for chicken (is) at an all-time high," and the famous, crunchy fried chicken, biscuits, dirty rice and sweet tea are coming soon to a neighborhood near you. The date for the first location's opening has yet to be announced.

Caffenio

1252 W. Southern Ave., MesaDecades-old Mexican coffee chain Caffenio is set to open its first U.S. location on the northwest corner of Alma School Road and Southern Avenue in Mesa. The chain started as a coffee cart selling bags of coffee door-to-door in Chihuahua, Mexico in 1923. Over time, it has grown into a large chain of coffee shops with 180 stores selling specialty coffee drinks and coffee beans around Mexico. With its headquarters located in Hermosillo, Sonora, Arizona makes sense for its first international venture. The company confirmed its upcoming Mesa store with a post to its new Caffenio U.S. social media pages on March 7. An opening date hasn't yet been announced.

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The original Randy's Donuts is iconic. Soon, a giant doughnut will roll into the Valley.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Randy's Donuts

5709 N. Seventh St.You know the image. A little shop sits on a California boulevard with a giant doughnut resting right on top. Now an international chain, Randy's Donuts first opened in Inglewood in 1952. Since then, that original location has been featured in countless shows, movies, ads and photographs. "Our fans come for the photo ops but stay for the best donuts they’ve ever tasted," the website proclaims. And soon, Phoenix customers will be able to judge the doughnuts themselves. Randy's is coming to Seventh Street, just south of Bethany Home Road. No opening date has yet been announced, but look out for a giant doughnut rolling our way soon.

Tirion Boan is the Food Editor of Phoenix New Times where she’s worked since May 2022. Tirion keeps a close eye on restaurant openings and closings, offers dining recommendations and reports on metro Phoenix food news and trends. She also publishes major annual lists like Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants, and contributes to the Best of Phoenix project. Tirion previously worked for publications including The Arizona Republic and The Tucson Weekly. She holds a bachelor’s of arts in journalism from the University of Arizona.

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