Bojangles' Big Vegas Bet: UNLV Campus Launch Spurs Major Expansion

LAS VEGAS, NV – March 05, 2026 – The battle for Las Vegas’s fast-food supremacy has a new contender making a bold play, and its latest move is aimed squarely at the next generation of consumers. LVP Restaurant Group LLC, a subsidiary of the formidable LV Petroleum, today opened a new Bojangles restaurant on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), bringing the chain’s famous Southern-style chicken and made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits to thousands of students, faculty, and staff.

This opening is far more than just another fast-food joint on a college campus. It represents a critical milestone in an aggressive, multi-faceted strategy to embed the North Carolina-born brand into the fabric of the Las Vegas Valley. It is the fifth Bojangles to open in the region in just over a year and a key piece of a 20-unit development deal that is rapidly changing the city’s quick-service restaurant (QSR) landscape.

A Strategic Play for the Next Generation

The decision to plant a flag at UNLV is a calculated move, signifying a long-term strategy focused on cultivating a new and loyal customer base. By establishing a presence directly within the daily lives of students, LVP Restaurant Group is betting that today’s study-break snack will become tomorrow’s family meal. This approach taps into a growing trend of QSR brands targeting non-traditional venues like university campuses to build brand affinity from a young age.

"UNLV is Las Vegas' premier university, and we're excited to be there," said Guy Madmon, co-founder of LV Petroleum. "We're reaching students who are going to become loyal customers for years to come — that's exactly the kind of community we want to be part of as we continue to grow across the Valley."

The launch was preceded by a savvy marketing blitz designed to generate on-campus buzz. Bojangles’ “Street Team” was deployed across UNLV, conducting a targeted sampling campaign that put the brand’s signature biscuits and cookies directly into the hands of students. This grassroots effort was amplified by a digital push, including advertisements on DoorDash and a Meta integration that gave the new location immediate visibility on Bojangles' official Facebook page, ensuring a strong opening day.

Jeanette Davis, senior vice president of LV Petroleum, emphasized the unique nature of the campus environment. “Every location we open reaches a different community, and UNLV is a community of its own,” she stated. “This campus gives Bojangles an entirely fresh customer base in Las Vegas — and we're just getting started. This is one more step in our rollout that isn't slowing down."

The Vegas Chicken Wars Heat Up

The UNLV restaurant is the fifth location in a rapid-fire rollout that began in January 2025, marking Bojangles' first foray west of Texas. With locations already operating on South Rainbow Boulevard, South Decatur Boulevard, St. Rose Parkway in Henderson, and near the Strip on Paradise Road, the brand is quickly establishing a significant presence. The overarching plan, announced in mid-2023, calls for 20 Bojangles locations to be operational across the Las Vegas Valley by 2027, a testament to the company’s confidence in a market notorious for its culinary competitiveness.

Las Vegas is a crowded field, saturated with global brands and celebrity chef outposts. For a regional chain like Bojangles, success requires more than just a good product; it demands a distinct identity and an innovative approach. The company is positioning its Southern-style menu as a “delicious alternative” for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, aiming to carve out a niche in a city that appreciates bold flavors.

Further differentiating its strategy, LVP Restaurant Group has a landmark location in the pipeline for The LINQ Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. This future restaurant is set to break the traditional QSR mold by becoming the first-ever Bojangles to feature a full bar and live entertainment, tailoring the brand experience directly to the city’s high-energy tourism and entertainment culture.

The Quiet Giant Fueling the Expansion

Behind this aggressive expansion is LV Petroleum, a Las Vegas-based powerhouse that has quietly become a major player in the national convenience and QSR sectors. Founded in 2014 by Guy Madmon and Val Amiel, the company is far more than a simple franchisee. It is a diversified developer and operator with a vast portfolio that includes over 75 travel centers, 180 quick-service restaurants, and 30 convenience stores across the United States.

LV Petroleum’s expertise lies in its ability to manage a complex network of over 30 franchise brands, including household names like Arby's, Dunkin, and Starbucks, alongside TravelCenters of America (TA) locations. This deep operational experience provides the infrastructure and strategic know-how necessary to execute a large-scale, multi-unit rollout with remarkable speed and efficiency.

The Bojangles expansion isn’t limited to Las Vegas. LV Petroleum has already secured rights to develop 20 new locations in the Phoenix market and plans to open 10 non-traditional Bojangles units in its travel centers across Western states, signaling a coordinated regional push.

With a leadership team that includes Kris Roach overseeing day-to-day operations and Sebastian Velis managing on-the-ground execution, LV Petroleum has built a well-oiled machine. This robust operational infrastructure, combined with the real estate expertise of investment partners like Kingsbarn Realty Capital, is what transforms the ambitious goal of a 20-unit deal into a tangible reality, serving thousands of new and happy Bojangles customers across Las Vegas.