Zaxby’s Franchising LLC

About Zaxby’s Franchising LLC

Zaxby’s is the creation of childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley, who opened their first restaurant in Statesboro, Georgia, in 1990. With a menu offering chicken fingers, wings, sandwiches and salads, they began franchising the concept in 1994, and now have locations throughout the Southeastern U.S.

Owning a Zaxby’s is a little like joining a family without changing your last name. (If that sounds creepy, well, you have your relatives to blame.) Because to us, being part of the Zaxby’s family means having access to some of the best support in the foodservice business. We began as a family, building a local brand in the community. And now our family includes cousins, and sisters, and grand-children who are carrying on the tradition in communities across several states. Just like it was when we started, our mission is to consistently create encore experiences that enrich lives one person at a time. The more things change the more they remain the same.

Why Zaxby’s?

PROVEN BRAND AND EXCEPTIONAL CULTURE -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.

STRONG INVESTMENT – 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.

TRAINING & SUPPORT

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.

Award-Winning Advertising Campaigns – 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.

Advertising Cooperatives, Local Marketing Tools – 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.

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

Some very experienced Franchisees have said that our support is best-in-class compared to other restaurant concepts. It begins with your personal operations consultant, who is on-call whenever you need help. It’s like having a hotline as satisfying as our hot sauce. Our mission statement is to “Consistently create encore experiences that enrich lives one person at a time.” And it all begins with the Franchisees. Because that’s how we execute our mission — by supporting Franchisees in theirs. From our TV commercials to our training materials, we’re constantly perfecting the recipe for growth and profits at the store level.

Pre-Opening Assistance (Real Estate, Architectural and Construction Guidelines) – The moment the licensing agreement is inked, you’ll be assigned a team of specialists to help you with everything from site selection and buildout to recruiting and bookkeeping. And while the decisions are yours to make, we think you’ll find yourself surrounded by some of the most expert advisers in the business. It’s your personal “zupport team.”

Openings Team – Experience is the best teacher. But unfortunately, that doesn’t help you a whole lot when you’re opening your first restaurant. Those first few weeks can be intimidating. You want to put your best foot forward and make a great first impression. That’s why our franchisees are supported by a team that specializes in the store opening process. They’ve got their part down to a science, so you can master the art of the business.

MENU DEVELOPMENT

It all started with the food. And after two decades and millions of satisfied customers, we still haven’t lost sight of that. In fact, if you get to know our customers, you’ll discover that our food is just part of a bigger recipe – one that satisfies their appetite for things like comfort, simplicity, belonging, and a little kick. It’s like the emotional equivalent of the four food groups. And our menu has them all. We’re constantly evolving to reflect the latest epicurean trends – while maintaining a steady diet of our trademark items.

Purchasing Power – Being the fastest-growing chicken chain in the country has its benefits. For starters, it means that we have clout with all the key links in the supply chain. And that translates into favorable food costs for our franchisees. Food gap is one of the keys to success for restaurant owners. And we’re working hard to help our franchisees manage theirs.

Innovative Product Development (Core Menu and LTOs) – 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.

Initial Training Program – 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.

Franchisee Managed Training Program (Zaxby’s University) – 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.

Ongoing Coaching – 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.

Operations Consultant – Every franchisee gets an Operations Consultant who is on-call whenever you need help. It’s like having a hotline as satisfying as our hot sauce. They assist franchisee management teams with the scheduling of training, equipment, and systems support to provide guests with the best possible experience. Also, through a very detailed inspections process, this team assists each individual Zaxby’s location to pinpoint areas of opportunity and to strengthen their foundation for a solid operation.

Business Development Consultant – There’s support for business development too. A special consultant works with you to discuss business planning for the future and to help you focus on increasing sales revenue. From market plans and sales plans to setting goals and budgeting, the Business Development Consultant also supports the restaurant opening process.