Meet the Bojangles’ fan with a tattoo of a Cajun filet biscuit
People would see it and say, ‘What is that, a hot dog?’
After scouring the Chapel Hill area for the best chicken biscuit, it only seemed right that I continue the biscuit theme.
Sure, you eat Bojangles’ every Saturday, but can you really say you’re a true fan? Do you love the flaky biscuits and chicken tenders so much that you would want them tattooed on your body? Tom Roughton sure does.
That’s right – the 31-year-old Durham native has a tattoo of a Bojangles’ Cajun filet biscuit. We chatted with Tom about his Bojangles’ body art.
When did your obsession with Bojangles begin?
It probably began my sophomore year of high school when one of my best friends came here and showed me a steak, egg and cheese biscuit.
When did you have the idea to get this tattoo?
When I moved to New York in 2013, I didn’t have any tattoos at the time. I was 27 and it was a week or two before I was going to move and something just hit me. I was thinking about my favorite food and that I needed a chicken Cajun filet biscuit on my leg.
One of my best friends, who used to live up here, was back in Durham again and had been tattooing at the time and I thought, “You know what? I’m going to hit up Max and the day I move, I’m going to get a tattoo, so I’ll meet him in Durham before I leave.” The last time I was in Durham, he tattooed it on me and we drove up.
Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what are they?
I have a few others, but that was the first one. I have an interpretation of a Tar Heel on my shoulder and a beaver skull, because ever since I was a little kid, I was obsessed with beavers. My newest one is a dagger through a pineapple on my forearm.
Where did you get the tattoo done?
Dogstar [Tattoo Company on E Main Street]. It’s a classic Durham Shop.
Is your biscuit tattoo in a noticeable place?
It’s on my upper thigh, so in the summer when the shorts come out, everyone starts noticing it.
How did your friends and family react?
I moved right after I got it and had a summer in Brooklyn and no one knew what it was. People would see it and say, “What is that, a hot dog?” But then there are some people that stop and look at it and say, “That’s a chicken biscuit.” But now even more people stop and ask, “Is that a Bojangles Cajun filet?” And those are the people from North Carolina.
Have you ever gotten free Bojangles because of your tattoo?
No, I’m usually all dressed up. But if I’m in a good mood, I’ll lift up my leg and show them.
Would you say the Cajun filet biscuit is your favorite order?
Yeah, that’s definitely my favorite.
Tom is now a painter and photographer in NYC. You should follow him on Instagram.