The battle for America’s fried chicken loyalty shows no signs of cooling. Yet amid the heat of the so-called “ chicken wars ,” Bojangles has quietly cooked up a comeback.

Since being taken private in 2019 for roughly $590 million, the North Carolina-based chain has nearly tripled in value ( reportedly exploring a sale of upwards of $1.5 billion), and is now even preparing to bring its biscuits and Cajun chicken to New York City.

For CEO José Armario, though, success has always been about more than just market cap or a fancy title—it’s been about leading with humility.

“I personally think you can attract more bees with honey than with vinegar,” Armario told Fortune .

“You don’t have to be a jerk along the way. You can still get to the right place.”

Armario learned that lesson e

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