It’s all about the chicken. Manatee County’s second Zaxby’s restaurant nears opening
Another player in the great chicken sandwich war is about to enter the arena in Bradenton.
The second Zaxby’s in Manatee County is working toward a proposed March 1 opening at 5020 14th St. W., a corporate spokesman confirmed this week.
Final inspections are underway with staff training planned later this month. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Zaxby’s locations are currently drive-thru only, the Zaxby’s spokesman said.
Zaxby’s, founded in 1990 in Athens, Ga., now has more than 900 restaurants, most of them owned by franchisees, like the two in Manatee County.
Licensee Britt Smallwood opened the first Manatee County location in late 2017 at 6591 State Road 70 E., near Manatee Technical College.
Zaxby’s is known for its chicken sandwiches, wings, and salads. It’s motto is “The chicken sandwich war ain’t over yet.”
S. Truett Cathy, the founder of another Georgia-based company, Chick-fil-A, claimed to have invented the chicken sandwich at the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Ga.
The first Chick-fil-A opened in 1967. There are now more than 2,400 of the restaurants nationwide.
Other contenders for the best chicken sandwich include KFC, with 22,621 restaurants and Popeye’s, with 3,102 restaurants.
Two Bradenton sisters, Ciliana and Gladys Jean, believe there is still room for competition and opened The Barnyard in the Oneco Farmer’s Market at 5108 15th St. E..
They say their sandwich is the best and that business has been booming.
For more information about Zaxby’s visit https://www.zaxbys.com/signaturesandwich/.
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 10:08 AM.
