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While Zaxby’s® is known for serving saucy chicken with a side of Southern hospitality, for many franchisees, it’s also become synonymous with growth opportunities. That’s certainly the case for Dustin Mullis, an early Zaxby’s franchise owner, who bought in at a time when there were about 500 store locations, mostly clustered in the Southeast. (Today, that number has ballooned to more than 940 locations across 19 states.)
When he opened his first Zaxby’s franchise in 2012, Mullis was fortunate to enjoy the mentorship of brand founder Zach McLeroy. The result? Mullis has spent the past 11 years building a franchise empire. He now owns and operates six Zaxby’s locations under the auspices of Coup Management, with plans for four more location openings already in the works. And, in appreciation of the mentorship that helped him reach this point in his career, Mullis has implemented a leadership development program for his own staff, preparing to pay it forward within his Zaxby’s family.
A Hand Up
Prior to opening his first Zaxby’s franchise, Mullis was no stranger to the restaurant industry. However, he wasn’t exactly on a path to ownership. Instead, he spent seven years working at a very different national chicken chain, toiling with no clear path toward advancement.
To make sure none of his Zaxby’s employees face the same fate, Mullis established a leadership development program through Coup Management. The application-based, eight-week program helps accepted employees develop the operational and communication skills needed to one day run their own restaurants. To date, more than 100 of Mullis’ employees have completed the program, which he describes as “a way for team members to raise their hand and say, ‘I want to grow with you.’” And to help them do just that, Mullis has come up with even more creative ways to help them rise through the ranks.
Everyone Gets a Share
In addition to opportunities for advancement, Mullis gives his employees the chance to gain equity in his businesses. Now, while he does so out of a sense of loyalty, he also recognizes that these kinds of decisions are good for the bottom line. “We really buy into the fact that if you take care of your people, everything else will follow,” says Mullis.
Luckily, he’s got the numbers to back up that belief. To date, each of his Zaxby’s franchise locations earns “north of $3.3 million,” he notes with pride. And, as Zaxby’s continues to expand its network of franchise locations, Mullis isn’t the only business owner seeing this kind of return on investment. While McLeroy is no longer Zaxby’s CEO, he’s still chairman, and he views Mullis’ efforts — and results — as being what the choice chicken chain is all about. In fact, he says, “By fostering a growth and professional development culture, Dustin has created an environment within his franchise where people can thrive. The mission of Zaxby’s is to enrich lives by focusing on those inside the store as well as the guest experience, and Dustin consistently upholds those standards of quality, efficiency, and consistency across all aspects of his business.”
A Model Worth Replicating
As the companywide Zaxby’s franchise network is poised to expand by 34 new locations in 2023, Mike Mettler, the company’s chief development officer, is hoping to welcome even more owners like Mullis to the family. To do so, he says, the plan is to employ “aggressive development incentives,” such as offers to refund initial franchise fees and to reduce two years’ worth of royalties for those who open new stores before Christmas of this year. At the same time, like Mullis with his leadership program, Mettler is giving potential franchisees several different ways to rise with the Zaxby’s family. One great option? Opening a location that follows the new, to-go-only Zaxby’s model. This will reduce the physical space required to open a restaurant, thereby simplifying the process of establishing a new franchise. Initially, only corporate-owned locations followed this streamlined store model. But July saw the opening of the first franchised, to-go-only Zaxby’s, which is in Hoover, Alabama. And so, with growth on the agenda and a host of new opportunities available to potential Zaxby’s franchise owners, we’re likely to see a slew of new locations before the year is up.
