Zaxby’s was founded in 1990 in Statesboro, Georgia, by two childhood friends.
Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley opened the first Zaxby’s restaurant near Georgia Southern University. The chain built its menu around chicken fingers, chicken wings, sandwiches, and crinkle-cut fries, making it part of the American quick-service chicken market.
Zaxby’s is often compared with Raising Cane’s because both brands emphasize chicken fingers and dipping sauces. They are separate companies: Raising Cane’s began in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, while Zaxby’s began in Statesboro.
The apostrophe in Zaxby’s refers to the brand name, which is derived from co-founder Zach McLeroy’s first name. The company expanded primarily across the southeastern United States.