Winter Haven’s First Zaxby’s Restaurant Hatches

Winter Haven's First Zaxby's Restaurant Hatches

Licensees George Abbott Jr. and David Abbott have opened the doors to Winter Haven’s first Zaxby’s restaurant. The new restaurant is located at 797 3rd St. SW, near Citi Center Plaza. A Southeast favorite for chicken fingers and wings, Zaxby’s will operate from 10:45 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday inside the restaurant, 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday inside the restaurant and 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day in the drive-thru.

“We’ve always wanted to bring a Zaxby’s to Winter Haven,” said David Abbott. “Zaxby’s has built its reputation and loyal following by providing excellent service and great-tasting food, and we plan to carry on that tradition with this new, convenient location.”

The new 3,654-square-foot location will seat 90 in Zaxby’s unique design – floor-to-ceiling brick walls, modernized tables and booths, all complemented by an eclectic mix of photography. Zaxby’s also offers drive-thru services to meet the needs of customers on the go.

Abbott believes the restaurant – from the atmosphere to the service – will exceed community expectations. “We’ve assembled a great group of team members who will deliver on the Zaxby’s mission to ‘consistently create encore experiences that enrich lives one person at a time,’” said Abbott.

The new location will be the fourth for Polk County, and the 49th for the Sunshine State.

Zaxby’s currently operates more than 570 locations in 13 states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, 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 Traditional or Boneless Wings, smothered in a choice of nine sauces with names like Wimpy, Tongue Torch, Nuclear and Insane.

The menu also offers innovative Zappetizers like Tater Chips, Spicy Fried Mushrooms and Fried White Cheddar Bites, 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 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. Zalads are assembled at the time the order is placed, versus being pre-made and stored in a cooler.

Additionally, Zaxby’s offers Milkshakes at participating locations, which come in chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavors. They are rich and creamy, hand-blended, and are topped with whipped cream.

Winter Haven's First Zaxby's Restaurant Hatches

An alternative to fast food, Zaxby’s offers its guests prepared-at-order Chicken Fingerz, Traditional or Boneless Wings, sandwiches, Zalads and Zappetizers, along with a variety of nine sauces ranging from Wimpy and Tongue Torch to Nuclear and Insane. Childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley hatched the Athens, Ga.-based chain in 1990 to provide a fun, relaxing atmosphere that would keep guests coming back for more. The company ranked number seven in the 2012 Top 10 Excellent Large Fast-Food Chains With 500 Or More U.S. Units Quick-Track study published by Sandelman & Associates. The chain also ranked number five in the nation for total sales and number one in the chicken segment in the 2012 Top 150 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report published by Technomic. In honor of the thousands of children the restaurant chain serves every year, Zaxby’s is a proud supporter of Make-A-Wish. The company operates more than 570 locations in 13 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. For more information, please visit zaxbys.com.