A lot of it revolves around the partnership, and they have big plans for the brand, he said, referring to Goldman Sachs. Tony Townley is an American entrepreneur and businessman and the co-founder of Zaxby who has a net worth of $10 million. We werent reckless. I had sold my drums. I am thrilled to be joining Zaxby's at this exciting milestone, and I look forward to working with the talented people in the Zaxby's family to build upon the brand's success. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Phone. "We talked about culture and we talked about people a lot more than we talked about the business. We started one store, then the second store. But we cant afford to send you.. Townley The company has grown throughout the Southeast in the years sincesystem sales have grown an average of 8.4% the past five years, according to data from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic. Well buy 10 percent or 70 percent of the restaurant, whatever they wished. But they knew this much: the chicken they could find in Statesboro, Georgia, was okay, but not . David is a graduate of Georgia generation with an MBA, whether from the Terry College of Business Administration at the University of Georgia. That's what childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley wanted to achieve when they founded Zaxby's back in the 1990s. Zaxby's knows chicken! In the early days we did door hangers, guerrilla marketing, a lot of specials. According to industry sources, the average restaurants of Zaxby earn around 1,900 million US dollars per year. Zaxby's founders Zach McLeroy & Tony Townley looked around their community and saw plenty of fast food or sit-down dining options but felt that something was missing. Our land payment was $400 a month. "Leading Zaxby's has been an incredible, life-changing journey," McLeroy commented. We said, if youre afraid well partner with you. [13][14], In late 2007, the chain began running a series of commercials featuring celebrities eating Zaxby's menu items. The first Zaxby's was established in Statesboro, Georgia in March 1990, near the Georgia Southern University campus, by childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley. I was one of their top pizza cooks. The trend of chicken fingers has exploded in popularity over the years, which led to an increase in new competitors. While there is no limit to the types of dishes that are available at these various locations, one thing we often center around is chicken. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. 86% of retail CFD accounts lose money, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zaxbys-ceo-and-co-founder-zach-mcleroy-to-transition-to-chairman-bernard-acoca-appointed-as-new-chief-executive-officer-301408117.html, Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our. You have permission to edit this article. Elsewhere in Central Florida, Zaxby's has an . It was founded in August 1990 and the first Zaxby's restaurant was opened in Statesboro, Georgia. There are two ways to subscribe (either by mail or text), and it allows you to get the inside scoop on all things Zaxbys, including specials, location openings, menu changes, promotions, and even a few coupons along the way. I feel like I have another 20 good years with this business. Aside from having delicious chicken, McLeroy and Townley knew that one of the most important things to have in their restaurant was immense flavor. As a licensee of Zaxby's Franchise, LLC, we strive to exhibit those original values. Address. We knew we had no other option. Jeff Hood, who works for the family business Zaxby's, posted on Facebook: 'For 17 years, I accompanied John Wes Townley to race tracks throughout the United States and Canada. The restaurant chain sponsored a couple of race car drivers, including John Wes Townley (Co-founder Tony Townley's son) during his time with NASCAR. [17] Additionally, Zaxby's has a separate agreement with Clemson University to provide brand presence at all football and men's and women's basketball games. I just thought I needed to slow down and do some things that werent so stressful or intensive, Townley said of his decision to step down as chief strategy officer. His victory in the Truck Series at Las Vegas six years ago Sunday was the only national series win of his career. (Tony had already graduated from Georgia Southern) and got into the mortgage business. We did a very fulsome process, we used an executive recruiting firm, McLeroy said about the hire. His career in the restaurant industry started when he started working in a high school restaurant. Ill be on the road with him, introducing him to franchisees, sharing my 31 years of institutional knowledge about who we are and how we operate.. In September 1994 weighed the primary eating places from Georgias doors in Bowling Green, Kentucky. After having the car for two days, I started having tremendous buyers remorse, so as vendors came in, I tried to sell them the car, but no one would buy it. McLeroy will transition to chairman of the company, effective January 2022. . McLeroy, who co-founded the business with childhood buddy Tony Townley, is the 52-year-old chief executive of Zaxbys Franchising Inc., the franchiser of Zaxbys and owner of 100 of the chains stores, with $75.7 million in revenue last year. Zach McLeroy remains CEO of Zaxby's after the buyout of his partner, Tony Townley, by Goldman Sachs in a $2 billion transaction. Zaxby's CEO Zach McLeroy has had one business partner for the past 30 yearshis lifelong best friend, Tony Townley. Healthy mother-of-two, 32, collapsed and died from brain bleed while she led fitness bounce class. There expansion has continued to remain at a slow pace during these last three decades, with the chain only having locations in about 18 states nationwide. Tony is all bookkeeping. (Tony) said, You are going to need somebody to do the bookkeeping, payroll, balance sheets, sales tax reports. He is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Zaxby's. Zach graduated at the University of Georgia. McLeroy said his and Townleys focus on people started early. There was a problem saving your notification. He has nothing to lose at this point. Also, athletics is an important part of the central culture, which has adopted the shape of Zaxby. CEO and co-founder Zach McLeroy will transition to chairman effective January 2022 after leading the fast casual for more than 30 years. Before Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley founded Zaxby's, they were childhood friends. So, if you are ever headed to the Southeast, definitely hit up a Zaxbys! "I am truly fortunate to have worked alongside a unique group of talented team members and brand partners who all share the same dedication to our mission-consistently creating encore experiences that enrich lives, one person at a time.". Acoca will succeed Zaxby's current CEO and co-founder, Zach McLeroy, who has led the brand for more than 30 years, making Acoca the first external CEO for the chain. Fox will reveal the franchise license and expert builders on this new role and preserve consistency with the layout and construction. 'I spent a portion of Saturday afternoon Oct. 2nd catching up with him at the Arkansas/Georgia football game. However, chances are good that people who pay close attention to the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Seahawks will have heard of her in recent years. of units: 400 unitsCheck average: $9Hometown: Athens, Ga.Education: B.S., University of. Vanessa, her husband Brandon, or her 2d son, likes to spend time as a family, whether or not her delivery included snow or mendacity at the beach. In addition to chicken fingers, Zaxby's serves wings . If you can imagine a large deck with enclosed walls. Chris Pleasance explains how Former NASCAR driver, son of Zaxby's co-founder killed in Athens shooting, Do not sell or share my personal information. Then came the idea of a chicken concept to me. Most of Zaxbys franchises are operated by franchise owners. This is why the company is known as a big supporter for the Make A Wish Foundation, and helps terminally ill children all across the country to make their wishes come true during their difficult time. When you had the same customer come in day after day after day, I realized this is really cool, this is a compliment to what we are doing here. What Do I Do If Someone Stole My Social Security Number To Get a Job? Barnett added that the relationship between Laura Townley and Anderson was not clear, but he said it is known they were 'acquaintances.'. 1040 Founders Boulevard Suite 300. 706.389.7158. I called Tony and said, Im really not sure about this store. . I think it was Valdosta, Ga. Instead, he sold his drum set to help start a chicken finger restaurant. On March 27, 1990, Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley opened their first Zaxby's restaurant in Statesboro, almost exactly where the Zaxby's on the Georgia Southern campus now sits. I am confident he has the experience and humility to lead Zaxby's, its franchisees, and its employees to achieve new levels of success in the future. Zach McLeroy is out as CEO of Zaxby's, the chicken restaurant chain he co-founded with Tony Townley in 1990. McLeroy had second thoughts about the shift. Throughout history, there have come and gone many famous and industry inspiring restaurants and fast food chains that have altered the way our society think about food. Though he is well today, the six month recovery period gave Townley and his wife, Elizabeth, plenty of time to ponder their future. The chain had the collective property rights for about thirty Division I colleges, which works out as a sponsorship for the football and basketball teams for each college. There is a massive explosion of southern cuisine, and peoples different styles did not have 30 years ago. Ill have involvement. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. He believes that had a lot to do with the right place, the perfect moment, and the right idea. When the man known around Watkinsville simply as Mr. Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley each own stock in more than 100 locations, maintaining a strong vested interest in the chain's success. Jun 22, 2021. zaxbys.com . Funny how that works. At the end of 10 years we had 20 company stores and 80 franchise stores. One of the menu items that Zaxbys is especially known for is their signature sauce lineup. Liked by Tony Townley Experience Zaxby's Franchising, Inc. 28 years 4 months Co-Founder / Executive Vice President Nov 2011 - Present11 years 2 months Athens, Georgia As a co-founder of the. "We're breaking up the band after all these years," says Zach McLeroy, left, and Tony Townley, co-founders of Zaxby's. Learn how your comment data is processed. In journalism and marketing and marketing, in addition to an M.B.A. Zaxbys is one of the few companies that has had the same CEO for the entirety of its history, who is, of course, Zach McLeroy. or anything. Zaxby's has grown to more than 900 locations in 17 states and is headquartered in Athens, Georgia. While their menu has, for the most part, stayed rather consistent in the past twenty nine years that the business has been up and running, they have worked hard to adhere to customer response and follow other trends as well. Ive always believed in multi-tasking. When starting out in the restaurant industry, the founders new that they wanted something that stood out, and that would also stand out to the customers that they would get every day. I had moved there. Ill be your partner. He knew of a location in Statesboro (near the Georgia Southern campus). The ambition of the mine is to help as many people as possible to be financially sufficient. When do the clocks change in 2023? 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