Zaxby's
🏪Regional · 18 states
Zaxby's is an Athens, Georgia-based fast-casual chicken chain founded in 1990 by childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley, who each invested $8,000 — McLeroy famously selling his drum set — to open the first 40-seat location near Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. The chain, known for its chicken fingers, wings, and proprietary Zax Sauce, grew through franchising to nearly 1,000 locations across 19 states, with Goldman Sachs acquiring it for $2 billion in 2020.
