Franchise funding

Zaxby's Franchise Funding for Existing Owners

For operators of a made-to-order chicken fingers and wings concept where the drive-thru carries the volume.

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✓ Merchant Fund Express starts with a soft credit pull. Terms depend on your location's revenue and history.

Updated October 21, 2026 · Merchant Fund Express

The short answer

Own a Zaxby's and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing Zaxby's franchisees with business loans, merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing, lines of credit, equipment financing and working capital, from $25,000 to $5,000,000. Zaxby's says it offers no financing to franchisees, so owners bring capital needs elsewhere; we read the restaurant's deposits after royalty, marketing fund and chicken drafts. A complete file is decided the same day, and funding often follows the next business day.

Who is this page for?

Franchisees with open Zaxby's restaurants in large dine-in, small dine-in or drive-thru-only formats. The FDD describes food prepared fresh, hot and to order: chicken fingers, wings, salads and sandwiches, with 12 signature sauces on the franchise site. A drive-thru is required except at non-traditional sites, and the newest model uses a double drive-thru, so lane speed and fryer capacity decide the day.

Read it with the chicken and wings franchise funding guide and the restaurant industry page.

What the franchisor publishes

Zaxby's: facts from official sources

Franchisor: Zaxby's SPE Franchisor LLC (source)
Parent company: Craveability Parent LLC (ultimate parent; direct parent Zaxby's Funding LLC) (source)
Initial franchise fee: $35,000; development agreement fee $17,500 per restaurant, credited toward the franchise fee (source)
Royalty: 6% of gross sales (opening incentives reduce it in years 1 and 2) (source)
Advertising fund: National Marketing Fund 2.0% (rising to 2.5% on December 28, 2026), plus co-op up to 3%; total weekly marketing up to 4% (source)
Total initial investment: $1,460,000 to $3,810,500 (FDD issued April 24, 2026) (source)
Liquid assets / net worth asked of new franchisees: Over $500,000 / at least $1,000,000 for a 1-store opportunity (source)
Locations: 1,005 open restaurants as of December 28, 2025, of which 140 affiliate-operated (FDD) (source)
Published formats: Large Dine-In about 2,900 sq ft, Small Dine-In about 1,650 sq ft, Drive-Thru Only about 1,161 sq ft; drive-thru required except at non-traditional sites (source)
US franchising status: Actively franchising in the Southeast, Deep South, Southwest and Midwest (source)

Checked Oct 2026 against official sources: the franchisor's own franchising site, its FDD or SEC filings, or the SBA Franchise Directory. Figures change; confirm current numbers in the latest Franchise Disclosure Document. Figures we could not confirm from an official source are left out.

Every way to fund your Zaxby's location

Already running a Zaxby's location and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing franchise owners with every product below. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.

Franchise business loan: a term loan fits adding a second drive-thru lane or a dining room remodel.

Merchant cash advance: remittance follows card sales, so it tracks lane volume.

Revenue-based financing: sized from deposits after royalty and marketing fund drafts.

Business line of credit: covers chicken, wing and sauce orders when distributor prices jump.

Equipment financing: fryers, holding, walk-ins, lane timers and menu boards on a quote.

Working capital: covers payroll and repairs during an incentive step-up in fees.

Which problems do Zaxby's owners bring to a funding review?

Double drive-thru conversion

Adding a second lane means site work, menu boards and lane technology. A business loan or equipment financing spreads it; see POS and drive-thru upgrades.

Royalty steps up after opening incentives

Opening incentives lower royalty in the first two years, then it rises to the standard rate. Owners plan payments around the higher draft.

Fryers running all day

Made-to-order fingers and wings keep fryers busy every shift. Replacement on a quote protects cash; see restaurant equipment financing.

Which product fits which Zaxby's need?

Need	Product	Published requirement it leans on	What to send
Fryers and holding cabinets	Equipment financing	Vendor quote and useful life	Quote, 3 months of statements
Second drive-thru lane	Business loan	Tier 1: 3+ years, FICO 650+, applicant owns at least 50%	Contractor bid, statements
Chicken and sauce orders	Line of credit	Tier 1: about $25K/month, 8+ deposits	Statements, invoices
Payroll or repair gap	Working capital	Tier 2: 6+ months, FICO 600+, $60K verifiable revenue	Statements, repair invoice
Group with several restaurants	Revenue-based financing	Tier 2: minimum daily balance $800, up to 2 current advances	Statements per entity

How does the review read a Zaxby's restaurant?

Entity. The franchisee company and the account where card batches settle.
Lane-driven deposits. Daily card batches, mostly from the drive-thru, plus delivery payouts.
Royalty and marketing drafts. Read as recurring costs, including the scheduled step-ups.
Distributor drafts. Chicken, sauces and paper, read as cost of goods.
Existing positions. Advances and leases are counted; a new structure can sometimes lower the combined payment. See existing positions.

What should a Zaxby's owner have ready?

About 3 months of business bank statements per restaurant entity, as bank PDFs

The five-minute application, which opens with a soft credit pull

Quotes for fryers, lane or refrigeration equipment

Current advance and lease payments

Full financials above $250,000

Sole proprietors are eligible, and Spanish-speaking support is available.

A hypothetical Zaxby's budget scenario

Imagine a drive-thru restaurant depositing $118,000 a month. Royalty and marketing drafts total $9,400, chicken, sauces and paper $37,000, payroll $32,000, rent $10,500 and an existing lease $2,700. The owner wants new fryers and holding quoted at $58,000.

Monthly deposits$118,000

Less royalty/marketing, food, payroll, rent, lease$118,000 - $9,400 - $37,000 - $32,000 - $10,500 - $2,700 = $26,400

$58,000 over 48 monthsabout $1,208/month before cost of funds

Share of what remains$1,208 / $26,400 = about 4.6%

Figures in this example are illustrations of the arithmetic, not an offer, quote or approval. Real terms depend on the file and the funder.

What if you are buying or opening a Zaxby's instead?

A restaurant that has not opened needs an operating history before Merchant Fund Express can review it; see buying a franchise. Owners adding restaurants are read on current deposits; see second location funding. Buying an open restaurant follows franchise transfer financing.

Keep reading

Chicken and wings franchise funding: how chicken concepts are reviewed

Franchise brands we cover: every brand page

Franchise business loans: fixed-term projects

POS and drive-thru upgrades: lane technology

Existing advances: when you already carry a position

Common questions

Can I finance fryers and drive-thru equipment for my Zaxby's?

Yes. Equipment is reviewed against a vendor quote and its useful life.

My royalty is about to step up. Does that matter?

We read current drafts. Plan the payment size around the higher rate so the budget still works after the step-up.

Can a multi-unit Zaxby's group apply?

Yes. Each entity is read on its own deposits, and one request can cover several restaurants.

Does Zaxby's finance franchisees?

The franchisor says it does not offer financing. Merchant Fund Express reviews existing owners independently.

Are you affiliated with Zaxby's?

No. Merchant Fund Express is independent. We use the Zaxby's name only to identify the owners this page is for; it does not mean the franchisor endorses or works with us.