Hangry Joe’s adds five franchises and app BOGO deal

Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings is opening five franchise locations over the next 30 days in Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina and Michigan. The brand is pairing the expansion with a buy-one-get-one-free entrée offer for first-time mobile app users to drive trial in the new markets.

Why it matters: - Hangry Joe’s is using a low-cost app promotion to push first-time visits as it expands into five new local markets. - The openings widen the Nashville-style hot chicken chain’s footprint across four states. - The strategy is designed to help the brand build local awareness without relying on national recognition.

What happened: - Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings is opening five new franchise locations within 30 days. - The new restaurants are in Palmhurst, Texas; Rock Hill, South Carolina; Durham, North Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Canton, Michigan. - New app users can claim a buy-one-get-one-free entrée valued up to $12.99 after downloading the Hangry Joe’s mobile app. - The promotion is available only to first-time app users.

The details: - The offer includes the Chicken Sando, tenders, nuggets, wraps, chicken and waffles, salads, loaded fries and loaded mac and cheese. - Hangry Joe’s serves its chicken across multiple heat levels, from Plain to “Angry Hot.” - The five locations are listed online at Palmhurst, Rock Hill, Durham, Raleigh and Canton. - Each new restaurant will offer dine-in, takeout and delivery. - The mobile app lets guests order ahead, track the promotion and access future offers. - Opening dates for each location will be announced separately by the restaurants.

Between the lines: - Micah Gaudio of GO Agency AI said the company does not yet have national brand recognition, so the free-entrée offer is meant to lower the barrier to trial. - GO Agency said the app-first launch plan is meant to build a local customer base quickly in each market. - Gaudio said the openings reflect a focus on premium, high-visibility sites for the brand. - The comments suggest Hangry Joe’s is pairing site selection with heavy local marketing to speed up adoption.

What’s next: - Customers in the five markets are being urged to download the app to check whether the offer is live at their nearest participating location. - The individual opening dates will be set by each restaurant. - Hangry Joe’s is continuing its broader franchise expansion across the U.S. and internationally.

The bottom line: - Hangry Joe’s is betting that a targeted app incentive will help turn five new franchise openings into fast local traffic.