Bojangles’ announced on September 9 that Jose R. Costa has joined the Southern restaurant chain as its first chief development officer, reporting to CEO Jose Armario. In this new role, Costa will be responsible for driving the overall unit growth of the company, recruiting new franchisees, real estate strategy, equipment, and new restaurant design, and construction.
“Jose joins our executive team at a pivotal time as Bojangles’ charts our strategic path forward,” says Armario. “His 20 years of experience in marketing, franchising, multi-unit retailing and customer experience for well-known brands will play a crucial role as we define our growth over the next decade.”
Most recently, Costa served as North America CEO for GrandVision. Prior to that, Costa served as group president of Driven Brands where he led the company’s Maaco, Carstar, and Drive N Style brands, which collectively operate more than 1,400 body shops. He also was vice president of marketing, R&D and supply chain at Burger King Latin America and Caribbean Region. Costa also served as president of Costa IMC, a branding and interactive marketing firm focused on the U.S. Hispanic and Latin American segments.
“It’s an exciting time to join this iconic brand with such loyal fans,” says Costa. “Bojangles’ has put together a topnotch team with incredible plans for continued growth, and I look forward to contributing to the company’s success.”
Costa’s appointment is one of several significant executive personnel hires made recently by Bojangles’, including Reese Stewart as chief financial officer and Jackie Woodward as chief marketing officer.
