At a Glance
- Founded: 1990
- Locations: 906
- Initial Investment: $ $343 K - $695 K
- Headquarters: Athens, GA
- Category: Food & Restaurant
We believe our culture is the soul of our brand. From the beginning, Zaxby’s has been known for having just the right combination of great food, a comfortable vibe, and fun people that care about each other. Turns out, those things also translate into customer loyalty. In fact, one of our main objectives over the years has been carefully preserving the personality of the company. It hasn’t been easy. But year after year, we’ve grown our customer base around this important nucleus. And it’s made us the fastest-growing chicken chain in the country.
If we had a crystal ball, we could tell you exactly how much money you’ll make as a Zaxby’s owner. Short of that, we can only tell you what we know. Like, for example, that some of our franchisees have done pretty well for themselves. And that a lot of them have started a legacy that can one day be handed down to their children, or possibly sold to the next faithful restaurateur. We can also tell you that we really like the idea of our franchisees achieving financial independence. And we’re doing everything we can to build a system that makes it happen for everyone in our system.
Year after year, we’ve expanded our footprint. In the early days, it was a handful of locations throughout Georgia. We eased into the Atlanta market, then into neighboring states. Little by little, the word got out. By popular demand, Zaxby’s restaurants were catching on in communities from the sandy plains of Florida to the Appalachian hills. If history is any indication, the next frontier leads us right across the Mississippi and all the way to the west coast. Assuming we’re right, we think there’s still time to “get in early” on what we hope will become the next big national restaurant chain. With most of our restaurants still concentrated in the southeast, that leaves a whole lot of unclaimed territory. And one day, we think there will be Zaxby’s restaurants across all of it.
MARKETING
As you may already know, our food is so good, people typically can’t stop talking about it. And that’s the best marketing you can get. But with all that talking, how will they be able to savor their favorite Zaxby’s recipes? That’s why we develop marketing and advertising programs to generate awareness at the regional level and drive traffic at the local level. We work hard to build the brand, so you can build your business.
You might not be able to afford dozens of the most recognizable celebrities to promote your restaurant. But when you’re a part of Zaxby’s, you’re part of a family that can. With hundreds of restaurants and growing, we’re starting to get a lot of attention. Our national advertising campaign features lots of big names endorsing our food. And partnerships with charities like the Make-A-Wish Foundation® help us to communicate our values in our marketing.
There’s strength in numbers. And it’s one of the best things about being a Zaxby’s franchisee. Local advertising cooperatives make it possible for a handful of stores to generate the impact of a major national chain. Plus, our field marketing support helps you reach your community directly. There’s even a local store marketing tool kit with hundreds of marketing packages to get the word out.
MENU DEVELOPMENT
A wise philosopher once said, “Variety is the spice of life.” And that’s menu development in a nutshell, so to speak. Limited-time offers give a fresh face to the core menu that drives the business. We think Zaxby’s offers some of the most marketable specials anywhere. And when you combine them with the celebrity power in our advertising campaigns, is there any point in resisting?
TRAINING
If there’s a single objective behind all of our training, it’s to enhance performance for the Franchisees. So please forgive us if we’re a bit obsessive about it. It’s just that we know the difference a well-trained “ambassador” can make in your restaurant. From the way inventory is maintained to the way your customers are greeted. You see, the thing about training people is that they’re… well, people. That’s why all Zaxby’s training reflects the latest thinking in the learning industry and includes tools for engaging all the learning styles. Developing talent is one of our core values. We’re dedicated to developing talent within our system so our people are positioned to enhance performance.
If you’ve got previous restaurant experience, we won’t hold it against you. But once you’ve been through our initial training process, you may change your definition of “previous experience.” Zaxby’s is a solid restaurant system, and we’ve created a program for teaching your managers that’s just as solid.
Employee training is one of the biggest ongoing challenges for franchisees. So we’ve created tools to help. The Franchisee Managed Training Program provides a scalable resource, enabling franchisees to conduct training for their own employees. This innovative program is saving franchisees both time and money, so they can better build their local brands.
Running your own business doesn’t have to be a solo venture. Zaxby’s provides a host of support when you need it. Your personal operations consultants are on-call to round out all your training initiatives and help with application. One size doesn’t always fit all. That’s why your consultants are available to encourage, point you to additional resources, or just to answer questions.
