Murphy's First Zaxby's Hatches Monday, May 12

By: Zaxby's | 1,014 Shares 164 Reads

New Restaurant to Provide Prepared-at-Order Chicken in a Casual Dining Atmosphere

May 09, 2008 // Franchising.com // MURPHY, N.C. — Zaxby's licensees Steve and Lisa Cockerham will open the doors to Murphy's first Zaxby's restaurant this Monday. Zaxby's, a Southeast favorite for chicken fingers and Buffalo wings, is located at 826 W. U.S. Highway 64. The restaurant will operate from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

"We are excited to open Murphy's first Zaxby's restaurant," said Steve, who also owns four locations in Georgia. "Zaxby's exceptional taste and family atmosphere are what first attracted me to this restaurant concept â€• I am confident Murphy residents will become as passionate about it as I am." The new restaurant showcases Zaxby's unique interior design, featuring a bright, open interior décor, complemented by vintage memorabilia and signage. The 3,195-square-foot restaurant will provide comfortable booths and tables, with a seating capacity of 71. Zaxby's also provides drive-thru services to meet the needs of customers on the go.

Steve believes the restaurant — from the atmosphere to the service — will exceed community expectations. "We've assembled a great team of over 40 team members who, we are confident, will deliver on the Zaxby's mission to 'consistently create encore experiences that enrich lives one person at a time,'" said Steve. The new Zaxby's is the first for Murphy and Cherokee County and the 43rd for the state as the chain continues its expansion. Zaxby's currently operates 430 restaurants in 12 states — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. An alternative to fast food, Zaxby's offers prepared-at-order chicken fingers, wings, sandwiches and salads. Zaxby's most popular items are its hand-breaded Chicken Fingerz and Jumbo Buffalo Wings, smothered in a choice of eight sauces with names like Wimpy, Tongue Torch, Nuclear and Insane. The menu also offers innovative Zappetizers — Onion Rings, Tater Chips (home-style potato chips) and Spicy Fried Mushrooms, and a variety of Party Platterz perfect for any family gathering or special occasion.

Zaxby's also offers five salads, or Zalads: The House, The Blue, The Caesar, The Zensation and The Chicken Salad Zalad. All of Zaxby's Zalads offer more chicken, unique ingredients, such as French-fried onions, fresh veggies and juicy tomatoes and are larger than most salads offered elsewhere. Each is prepared with chicken, three kinds of lettuce, and a variety of toppings. The Zensation joins the menu for a limited time only this spring and features Chicken Fingerz drizzled with honey sesame glaze, mixed with red cabbage, carrots, various greens, crispy wonton strips, and topped with Asian slaw. The Zensation is served with Citrus Vinaigrette dressing and a tasty veggie egg roll. All Zalads are assembled at the time the order is placed, versus being pre-made and stored in a cooler.

Zaxby's is a "quick-casual" restaurant chain headquartered in Athens, Ga. Zaxby's opened its first restaurant in Statesboro, Ga., in March 1990, and by July 2001 opened its 100th location in Jacksonville, Fla. Zaxby's celebrated its 200th restaurant opening in its hometown of Athens, Ga., in May 2004, and in December 2005 observed its 300th opening in Dallas, Ga. In October 2007 Zaxby's opened its 400th location in Macon, Ga.

About Zaxby's

Zaxby's founders Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley looked around their community and saw plenty of fast food or sit-down dining options, but felt something was missing. They decided to provide the freshest chicken fingers and Buffalo wings in town. That hatched a simple idea to create a fun atmosphere where food quality is of the utmost importance. In 1990, they opened the first Zaxby's in Statesboro, Ga. The concept, one of the early "quick-casual" restaurants, proved successful.

McLeroy and Townley opened four more restaurants, and in 1994, they began to franchise the brand. The food and service was so popular, the Athens, Ga.-based chain has boomed to 430 units in 12 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and continues to grow. For more information, visit www.zaxbys.com.

###