What Zaxby's does

Zaxby's is a private fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 1990 in Statesboro, Georgia, and currently headquartered in Atlanta. The company operates more than 1,000 locations across 24 states, primarily through a franchise model in which most restaurants are independently owned and operated by third-party franchisees under license agreements with Zaxby's SPE Franchisor LLC. The chain's core product portfolio centers on hand-breaded Chicken Fingerz, wings, Zalads (chicken salads), and sandwiches, differentiated by a proprietary lineup of twelve signature sauces and a rotating calendar of limited-time offerings. Menu innovation has accelerated with permanent additions including dry rub flavors (Nashville Hot, Garlic Parmesan, Lemon Pepper) and limited-time launches such as the Alabama White BBQ Sauce.

The company's digital infrastructure supports a two-tier loyalty program (Zax Rewardz and Sauce Boss VIP) accessible via a mobile app and website, integrating with third-party delivery partners (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, Postmates) and enabling order-ahead, pickup, and delivery. Zaxby's generates revenue through initial franchise fees ($35,000 per location), ongoing royalty payments, company-operated restaurant sales, gift card sales, and digital ordering channels. The franchise program requires minimum net worth of $1,000,000 and liquid assets greater than $500,000, with total initial investment estimated between $1.4M and $3.8M. The customer base spans individual consumers seeking quick-service chicken meals and franchisees/entrepreneurs seeking a proven QSR business model.

The company is in a sustained expansion phase, with milestones including surpassing 1,000 locations in 2025, recognition as QSR Magazine's Most Transformational Brand of the Year, and announced entry into New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Missouri, and Arizona markets. Recent strategic moves include a Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division investment in 2020, deployment of Berry AI computer vision across drive-thrus and Workday AI for workforce management, and the Modern Farmhouse restaurant prototype with dual-lane drive-thrus designed for flexible formats including non-traditional venues such as military bases. Leadership has been strengthened through the appointments of Bernard Acoca as CEO (January 2022), Michael Dixon as CFO (March 2026), and Russell Holland as Chief Development Officer (2026).

Name

Zaxby's

Legal name

Zaxby's SPE Franchisor LLC

Website

https://zaxbys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Zaxby's is a private fast-casual chicken restaurant chain operating 1,000+ franchise locations across 24 states, serving hand-breaded Chicken Fingerz, wings, salads, and sandwiches differentiated by twelve signature sauces, with digital ordering, a two-tier loyalty program, and ongoing national expansion into major new markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast Casual Chicken Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

akta.pro primary industry

Chicken & Wings QSR (THAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chicken Concepts (Fried/Grilled/Hot Chicken) (THAFABAI)

Keywords

• Fast casual chicken
• Chicken finger restaurant
• Franchise restaurant chain
• Quick service chicken
• Signature sauce chicken

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Zaxby's generates revenue through initial franchise fees ($35,000 per location) and ongoing royalty payments from franchisees. The company has over 1,000 locations across 24 states, with most restaurants independently owned and operated by third-party franchisees.
2. Company-Operated Restaurant Sales: Revenue from company-owned restaurant locations through dine-in, drive-thru, and digital ordering channels. The company offers multiple revenue streams including walk-in traffic, mobile and online ordering through Zax Rewardz, and drive-thru sales.
3. Delivery and Digital Ordering: Revenue from digital orders placed through the Zaxbys app and website, as well as third-party delivery commissions. Sauce Boss VIP members earn 12 points per dollar on digital orders versus 10 points for standard members.
4. Gift Card Sales: Revenue from sale of physical and electronic gift cards, with bulk options available for business orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zaxby's operates a fast-casual chicken restaurant franchise system built around hand-breaded Chicken Fingerz, wings, Zalads (chicken salads), and sandwiches differentiated by twelve signature sauces. The company sells its core menu through company-owned and franchisee-operated restaurants across 24 U.S. states, supplemented by Zax Packz group meals, a two-tier loyalty program (Zax Rewardz and Sauce Boss VIP), a catering service, and digital ordering via mobile app and website.

Product overview

Zaxby's is a fast-casual chicken restaurant chain founded in 1990 in Statesboro, Georgia, and headquartered in Atlanta. The core product portfolio centers on hand-breaded Chicken Fingerz, Wings, Zalads (chicken salads), and Sandwiches, differentiated by the brand's lineup of twelve signature sauces. Supporting the core menu are Zax Packz group meal bundles and a rotating selection of limited-time offerings. Digital operations are anchored by the Zax Rewardz two-tier loyalty program (Zax Rewardz and Sauce Boss VIP tiers), accessible via a mobile app and website enabling order-ahead, pickup, and third-party delivery integration. The company also operates a franchise program offering multiple restaurant formats and a catering service for events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zax Rewardz: The company's loyalty program that rewards customers with points for purchases, exclusive offers, and birthday treats.
• Sauce Boss VIP

Products and services

• Chicken Fingerz Hand-breaded chicken fingers served as a main-course menu item; available individually and in meal combinations across all Zaxby's locations.
• Wings Chicken wings available with multiple sauce and dry rub flavor options, including 10 Wings for $10 promotions.
• Zalads Salad-based menu category combining greens with chicken fingers, wings, or grilled chicken; includes permanent varieties such as Asian Zensation Zalad and Blue Zalad.
• Sandwiches Chicken sandwich offerings including the Kickin Chicken Sandwich and Spicy TLC, available as meal combinations.
• Signature Sauces Twelve signature sauces including Tongue Torch, Nuclear, Insane, Original, Hot Honey Mustard, Sweet & Spicy, Teriyaki, BBQ, Spicy Honey BBQ, and Southern Sweet & Smoky; cited as a key brand differentiator with 34% of consumers considering sauce options when choosing a restaurant.
• Zax Packz Group meal bundles redesigned as Zax Packz in October 2024, available in Chicken Fingerz and Boneless Wings variations serving four or more guests with sides and dipping sauces.
• Zax Rewardz Loyalty Program Two-tier loyalty program: Zax Rewardz base tier (10 points per $1 spent) and Sauce Boss VIP elevated tier (12 points per $1 on digital orders, requires 3,000 points annually to maintain). Members receive exclusive offers, birthday rewards, and bonus points on digital orders.
• Mobile App and Online Ordering Digital ordering service via Zaxby's iOS and Android mobile applications and website enabling order-ahead pickup, third-party delivery integration, and access to the Zax Rewardz loyalty program with exclusive offers.
• Catering Catering service offering platters, Zalad platters, and boxed lunches for events and parties, available for advance ordering through a dedicated catering platform.
• Franchise Opportunities Franchise program offering qualified entrepreneurs the right to open Zaxby's locations; requires a $35,000 initial franchise fee with estimated total initial investment of $1,445,000 to $3,810,500. Multiple restaurant formats are available including Large Dine-In, Drive-Thru Only, and Small Dine-In.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% improvement in speed of service
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered campaign, core and support.

• Rob RauschcampaignGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 August 2026Reality TV personality (Love Island, The Traitors) and Alabama native recruited to promote the Alabama White BBQ Sauce launch, leveraging his social media following and ties to Alabama.
• WorkdaycoreTechnology or Integration · 8 January 2026Zaxby's uses Workday's enterprise AI platform for workforce management including demand forecasting, scheduling optimization, and hiring automation. Over 1,800 retail and hospitality companies use Workday's platform. Early results show 67% reduction in time spent on weekly schedules and 90% decrease in time required to manage shift changes.
• 2 ChainzcampaignGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2025Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz and his son Halo partnered with Zaxby's for the '12 Days (Chainz) of Saucemas' holiday campaign, releasing daily videos featuring exclusive deals and menu items on social channels to reward Zax Rewardz members.
• Berry AIcoreTechnology or Integration · 24 March 2025Zaxby's selected Berry AI's Camera Timers to modernize drive-thru operations across its entire brand. The AI technology uses cameras to measure operational metrics like speed of service and line abandonment while preserving guest privacy by capturing only anonymous operational data. The deployment helps restaurants identify bottlenecks and improve real-time decisions.
• UsableNetsupportTechnology or IntegrationZaxby's partnered with UsableNet Inc., a leading web accessibility consultant, to implement technology that enables and maintains accessibility in-line with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the Americans with Disabilities Act, European Accessibility Act, and similar regulations.
• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner making Zaxby's products available for delivery through DoorDash's platform.
• Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner making Zaxby's products available for delivery through Uber Eats' platform.
• GrubhubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner making Zaxby's products available for delivery through Grubhub's platform.
• PostmatescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner making Zaxby's products available for delivery through Postmates' platform.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chick-fil-A: Chick-fil-A is the dominant US chicken QSR with a national footprint, drive-thru-centric model, and signature chicken sandwich. It is the most direct competitor to Zaxby's in the chicken QSR/fast-casual segment and the primary share-of-stomach benchmark Zaxby's measures itself against.
• Raising Cane's: Raising Cane's is a fast-casual chicken-fingers chain with a single-item focus, rapid national expansion, and strong digital/loyalty adoption. Comparable to Zaxby's in core menu (chicken fingers, signature sauce), target customer, and drive-thru-oriented real estate strategy.
• Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen: Popeyes is a global chicken QSR specializing in bone-in fried chicken and chicken sandwiches, owned by Restaurant Brands International. It competes with Zaxby's for chicken QSR occasions and franchisee-side real estate in many of the same US geographies.
• Bojangles: Bojangles is a Southeast-rooted chicken-and-biscuits QSR with drive-thru, dine-in, and catering across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Highly comparable to Zaxby's on geography, menu orientation (chicken-focused), franchise model, and expansion pattern into new states.
• Wingstop: Wingstop is a wings-focused QSR with strong digital ordering, loyalty program, and franchise-driven national growth. Comparable to Zaxby's on wings category overlap, tech-forward QSR model, and franchise-led unit economics.
• Buffalo Wild Wings: Buffalo Wild Wings is a sports-bar/casual dining chain centered on wings and sauces. Overlaps with Zaxby's on wings and signature-sauce differentiation, though positioned more as a dine-in/sports venue than a fast-casual QSR.
• Church's Texas Chicken: Church's is a value-oriented fried-chicken QSR with strong presence in the South and Midwest and a growing franchise footprint. Comparable to Zaxby's on chicken category, franchise model, and Southern US heartland geography.

Broad incumbents

• KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken): KFC is a Yum! Brands-owned global chicken QSR incumbent with nationwide distribution and a wide menu including chicken sandwiches and sides. Comparable to Zaxby's as a chicken-category QSR but operates at substantially larger scale with broader menu and international presence.

Emerging players

• PDQ Restaurant: PDQ is a smaller, fast-growing chicken tenders and salads chain founded by former Outback executives, focused on the Southeast and select expansion markets. Comparable to Zaxby's on chicken-focused fast-casual positioning and Southeast base, though smaller in scale.
• Slim Chickens: Slim Chickens is a fast-growing chicken tenders and wings franchise with a Southern-inspired menu and signature sauces. Comparable to Zaxby's on chicken tenders/wings positioning, signature sauce differentiation, and franchise-led multi-unit growth strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Zaxbys

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zaxby's