Brevard goes nuclear for Zaxby’s chicken

Loyal reader White Lightnin’ says the place was slam-packed when it opened this week. Press release here:

Zaxby’s licensees Jim Rodgers and his father Thomas Rodgers opened the doors to Transylvania County’s first Zaxby’s restaurant on Monday in Brevard. The new Zaxby’s, a Southeast favorite for chicken fingers and Buffalo wings, is located at 205 Asheville Highway, across from Wachovia Bank. The restaurant operates Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

“We’re excited to offer Zaxby’s to the residents of Brevard,” said Jim, who opened his first Zaxby’s in 2006 in Sylva, N.C. “We look forward to introducing Zaxby’s delicious, prepared-at-order food and superior service, as well as becoming a good neighbor in the community.”

The new restaurant showcases Zaxby’s unique interior design, featuring a bright, open interior décor, complemented by vintage memorabilia and signage. The 3,200-square-foot restaurant will provide comfortable booths and tables, with a seating capacity of 61. Zaxby’s also provides drive-thru services to meet the needs of customers on the go.

The new Zaxby’s location is the first for Transylvania County and 47th for the state. Currently, Zaxby’s footprint includes more than 465 locations in 11 states — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Jim believes the new restaurant — from the atmosphere to the service — will exceed community expectations. “We’ve assembled a great team of over 40 associates 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 Jim.

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 nine 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, as well as a variety of Party Platterz perfect for any family gathering or special occasion.

Zaxby’s also offers three salads, or Zalads: The House, The Blue and The Caesar. All are prepared at order, with grilled or fried chicken, three kinds of lettuce, shredded cheese, fresh veggies and juicy tomatoes. Customers have a choice of buffaloed or blackened chicken when ordering The Blue. All of Zaxby’s Zalads offer more chicken and unique ingredients, such as French-fried onions, and are larger than most salads offered elsewhere. Each Zalad is 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.