Zaxby’s Franchising Inc., based in Athens, Ga., has been expanding its “Chicken Fingerz” empire westward. In Nation’s Restaurant News’ Top 100 census, the company rose to No. 42 in the Latest Year, based on U.S. systemwide sales rankings, from No. 45 in the Preceding Year.
Founded in 1990, Zaxby’s markets itself as “an alternative to fast food,” offering in addition to chicken tenders a menu of traditional and boneless wings, sandwiches, salads and appetizers. It offers nine sauces to go with the tenders and wings, ranging in spiciness from Wimpy and Tongue Torch to Nuclear and Insane.
The LSR/Chicken chain was started by childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley. Zaxby’s now has 680 locations in 16 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
Keys to growth
New renovation platform. In January, Zaxby’s reopened a unit in Easley, S.C., that featured what the company called “improvements that increase quality of food, improve dining experience and decrease wait time.”
“For this prototype, we’ve left no stone unturned. Guests of this new Easley location will enjoy a high-end, fast-casual experience — from the upscale dining area to the new standards we’ve set to make our food even fresher. We also listened to feedback from our customers and made improvements to increase the speed of service and quality of food,” Robert Baxley, Zaxby’s chief operating officer, said in a statement.
Among the new features were a farmhouse design with wood-beam ceilings, galvanized steel and handmade lamps; two drive-thru lanes and pick-up windows; varied seating, including countertop-style stools with window views and farmhouse tables for larger groups; and booths with higher partitions.
Seasonal promotions. Zaxby’s tapped the fall football season with a promotion for its Game Day Fillet Sandwich Meal, which ran through Jan. 4. The chicken fillet sandwich came with crinkle-cut fries and a beverage. The company tapped Calvin Johnson, receiver for the Detroit Lions NFL team, for television spots.
Unit growth. Zaxby’s showed marked increases in unit growth in the Latest Year. The brand jumped to a No. 9 ranking in Growth of Total U.S. Units, a 10.9-percent increase from its No. 32 ranking in the Preceding Year. Zaxby’s ended the Latest Year with 658 restaurants, an increase from 593 units at the end of the Preceding Year.
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]
Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless
