Bojangles just went public and the stock is exploding higher
The fried-chicken-and-biscuit-chain priced its IPO at $19 a share, which was at the higher range of its expectations.
A Bojangles' regulatory filing showed that it had expected to sell 7.75 million shares at between $18 and $19 a share.
Near noon, the stock was trading at around $23.50 a share after having changed hands above $27 at one point.
There's a lot going for the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company, as Business Insider's Hayley Peterson notes.
It offers all-day breakfast with buttery biscuits made from scratch. Its fried chicken is always made with fresh meat marinated for at least 12 hours, and its menu includes classic Southern-inspired sides like cole slaw and green beans. And then there's its signature sweet tea, which is a staple in the South.
According to its IPO filing, Bojangles has 622 restaurants in 10 states. It plans to expand its locations by 8% annually. Sales at Bojangles grew to $430 million in 2014 from $349 million in 2012.