Zaxby's
Food & Beverage · Fast-Casual Restaurants
- Active units
- 796
- Avg unit volume
- $2.7M
- Royalty
- 6.0%
Franchised, year-end 2023
of weekly Net Sales
About Zaxby's
Zaxby's is a brand that offers a mouthwatering menu of made-to-order chicken fingers, wings, and more. Their food is absolutely craveable, satisfying even the most daring taste buds with its zesty flavors. Whether you're in the mood for a crispy chicken finger plate or a refreshing Zalad, Zaxby's has something to satisfy every craving. But it doesn't stop there – Zaxby's also offers a variety of delicious Zappetizers to kickstart your meal. From their famous Chicken Fingerz tossed in your choice of sauce to their savory Boneless Wings, there's always a delightful option to tantalize your taste buds. To make your Zaxby's experience even more convenient, you can download the Zaxby's App, allowing you to easily keep up with the latest promotions and menu updates. With their convenient cookie settings, you can customize your online experience to suit your preferences. So why wait? Download the Zax App and get ready for a truly satisfying meal at Zaxby's.
Key terms
- Franchise fee
$35k
- New Restaurant Opening Incentive Program
Refund Initial Franchise Fee at opening; Royalty reduced to 2% year 1 and 4% year 2 for new Restaurant opened in a Core Market within stated deadlines.
- Select Market Incentive Program
Refund Initial Franchise Fee at opening; Royalty reduced to 0% year 1 and 3% year 2 for Restaurants opened outside Core Markets within 1/1/2024–12/31/2026.
- Brand fund
1.5% of Net Sales
- Local advertising
3.0% of Net Sales
- Footprint
1,100 – 3,500 sq ft
- Development Fee
$0
- Veteran discount
20.0% off franchise fee — 20% discount ($7,000) off the Initial Franchise Fee for eligible U.S. military veterans; applies to first five new Restaurants; clawback of $7,000 if transferred/terminated within first year.
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2026 filing); filings on file: 2024, 2025, 2026.
Growth
- Total locations826
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings37
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate3.8%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR4.2%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio6.2×
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate2.3%
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin—
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$2.6M
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open—
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
- Royalty rate6.0%
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
↓ Lower is better - Sales-to-investment ratio—
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns—
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
Create your free Glidepath account to access full brand information.
Location footprint
Showing 562 of 849 mapped locations
Sources
Financial and operating figures are sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Documents. Brand percentile rankings are based on comparisons to other brands that include the same metrics in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.