Zaxby’s fries hand-breaded Chicken Fingerz and wings to order, then serves them alongside a house lineup of dipping sauces from Zax Sauce to Nuclear. Zalads, sandwiches and wraps round out a menu built around that same fried-chicken base. More than 1,000 restaurants now carry the name across 22 states, tracing back to one Statesboro, Georgia storefront.
Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley built that first store into a national chain now backed by Goldman Sachs’ private-equity arm. Zaxby’s own history, from that 1990 opening to today’s Atlanta-headquartered footprint, fills the section below.
Zaxby’s History
Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley grew up together in Statesboro, Georgia. The childhood friends put up $8,000 apiece and opened the first store there in March 1990, calling it Zax before settling on the Zaxby’s name. Hand-breaded Chicken Fingerz and a house lineup of dipping sauces set the format from that very first location, near the Georgia Southern University campus.
Franchising began in 1994, and Zaxby’s joined the International Franchise Association in 2001. The chain grew almost entirely through franchisees rather than company-owned stores over the following decades. Georgia remained its stronghold throughout that growth, still home to roughly a quarter of the whole system today.
Investment funds tied to Goldman Sachs’ Merchant Banking Division bought a majority stake in November 2020. Tony Townley exited his ownership position as part of that deal. Zach McLeroy stayed involved with the brand afterward. Zaxby’s now runs from its Atlanta, Georgia headquarters, trading from more than 1,000 restaurants across 22 states.
Zaxby’s Menus & Details
Two pages carry the detail below, covering the printed board and declared allergens.
Zaxby’s Menu Prices
Chicken Fingerz, wings, Zalads and sandwich meals all carry a calorie count alongside their price. The Zaxby’s Menu Prices page adds all twelve sections in full.
Zaxby’s Allergen Menu
Milk, egg, wheat and gluten turn up across most of the fried board’s Fingerz, wings and Zalads. The Zaxby’s Allergen Menu carries the full breakdown by item.