Zaxby's facts for kids
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Trade name
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Zaxbys |
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Formerly
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Zax Zaxby’s |
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| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast casual |
| Founded | March 1990 |
| Founders | Zach McLeroy Tony Townley |
| Headquarters | Athens, Georgia, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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941 (2022) |
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Area served
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United States |
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Key people
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Bernard Acoca (CEO) Zach McLeroy (Chairman, Former CEO, Co-Founder) Tony Townley (Former Chief Strategy Officer, Co-Founder) |
| Products | Chicken Fingers, french fries, Texas toast, 12 Signature Sauces |
Zaxbys is a popular American restaurant chain. It's known for its tasty chicken, like Chicken Fingerz, wings, and salads called Zalads. Most Zaxbys restaurants are found in the southern parts of the United States. There are over 970 locations, and many of them are run by local owners through a system called franchising.
Contents
History of Zaxbys
The very first Zaxbys restaurant opened in March 1990. It was in Statesboro, Georgia, close to Georgia Southern University. Two childhood friends, Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley, started it together.
Four years later, in September 1994, Zaxbys opened its first restaurant outside of Georgia. This new location was in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In 2013, Zaxbys expanded even further, opening restaurants in Utah. This was their first time opening stores outside the southeastern United States.
In 2024, Zaxbys announced plans to open more restaurants in 2025. This included a new store in Cambridge, Maryland, which was the first in that state. More locations are planned for the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the coming years. As of 2025, Zaxbys had more than 970 restaurants across the U.S.
In 2022, Bernard Acoca became the new CEO of Zaxbys. He was the first CEO who was not one of the company's founders. Zach McLeroy, one of the original founders, stayed on as the chairman.
What's on the Menu?
Zaxbys is a fast casual restaurant. This means it's quicker than a sit-down restaurant but often has more options than a typical fast-food place. They offer many chicken dishes, including Chicken Fingerz, chicken wings, and sandwiches. They also have salads and fried shrimp.
When you order chicken fingers, you can choose from many different dipping sauces. These sauces range from mild flavors to very spicy ones, like the "Nuclear" sauce. A popular choice is the "Zax Sauce," which is a medium-spicy option.
The dining areas in Zaxbys restaurants are often decorated with fun and unique items. These decorations can change depending on the location. For example, some restaurants near colleges might have items related to the local university. A Zaxbys in Orlando, Florida, has decorations that remind you of the citrus fruit industry.
Since December 2013, Zaxbys has offered the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine. This machine lets you mix many different drink flavors. Because of this, the drink area in Zaxbys restaurants often features Coca-Cola designs. In 2025, Zaxbys also brought back milkshakes to its menu.
Products and Rewards
As of July 2024, Zaxbys sells three of its popular sauces in stores. You can find them at Walmart, Winn-Dixie, and on Amazon.
The company also has a special program for its loyal customers called Zax Rewardz. It's an app-based program where you earn points for every dollar you spend. These points can then be used for rewards.
Advertising and Sponsorships
Zaxbys has appeared in different places, like the video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles in October 2008. Even though the game was set in Los Angeles, California, Zaxbys didn't have any locations there at the time.
In 2025, the actor Omar Epps appeared in Zaxbys ads. He was called "The Sauce Boss" to help promote the chain's special sauces.
Zaxbys is known as "The Official Chicken of Sports Fanz." They have partnered with nearly 30 Division I colleges. This means they support the football and basketball teams at these schools. This partnership covers 25 states and seven different sports conferences. It includes many colleges from the Southeastern Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Zaxbys also has a separate agreement with Clemson University to be seen at all their football and men's and women's basketball games.
Zaxbys also sponsored the Heart of Dallas Bowl, a college football game played at the Cotton Bowl Stadium. The company has also sponsored race car drivers in NASCAR, including Joey Clanton and the late John Wes Townley. John Wes Townley was the son of Zaxbys co-founder Tony Townley.
Zaxbys is also a supporter of the Make-A-Wish foundation, which helps grant wishes for children with critical illnesses.
See also
- List of chicken restaurants
