New Zaxby's restaurant open in Cape

Cape Girardeau�s first Zaxby�s � a fast food chain restaurant offering a variety of chicken � hatched Monday.

Franchisee Chip Hults said he opened his first Zaxby�s in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2009 alongside long-time business partner Chris Manwell. The Cape Girardeau location is his ninth, he said, after opening a Zaxby�s in Sikeston, Missouri, two months ago.

But what�s the reason for one in Cape Girardeau?

Hults said he felt like the Zaxby�s brand was �not as known� in this part of the country and because of the success with the franchise in Tennessee and Kentucky, he said he �felt like it would be a good fit for Cape Girardeau and the community.�

He�s only been in the restaurant business for about 10 years, and Hults said when the journey began, it was seen as a business opportunity and he �just took advantage of it.�

Since announcing the 3,800-square-foot Cape Girardeau Zaxby�s location, Hults said he�s received a lot of positive feedback, which he said is exciting.

�That�s a good feeling for us,� Hults said. �And we have a lot of people who have never eaten at one before, which is common.�

This area is what Hults said he considers a �pioneer market,� since the brand is somewhat new to the area.

Even though the restaurant is classified as fast food, Hults said he doesn�t think of the brand that way.

�We consider ourselves �quick service,�� he said. �One of the big differences is we don�t prepackage any of the food before the guest orders. We don�t package it or put it on a plate until it�s ordered. That�s why it takes a little bit longer than McDonald�s, Chick-fil-A, Wendy�s or something like that.�

Hults said everything is made fresh and not packaged. The orders do not sit under a heat lamp very long, he said, because �we rotate everything really quick.�

Obviously, he said, Zaxby�s is known for its Chicken Fingerz and Zax Sauce, in addition to having �a pretty broad menu.�

He described the Zaxby�s atmosphere as a �rustic roadhouse and comfortable,� and said the newer locations are similar in style.

�The founder of Zaxby�s is Zach McLeroy,� Hults said. �It was his idea and his vision of what he wanted the newer Zaxby�s to look like.�

Hults said he has 50 employees at the Cape Girardeau location, plus five managers, including Southeast Missouri State University students and a few high school students.

Hults said the Cape Girardeau Zaxby�s was a four-month build, originally scheduled to open in May. Because of weather, the franchise lost three weeks of construction, he said.

He said he has the rights to build another location within Cape Girardeau County �if this one takes off and does well.�

�We also have the rights to build in Poplar Bluff, as well. This is kind of a new, testing market for us,� Hults said. �If all these go well, we may go right up 55 headed towards St. Louis.�

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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