Zach McLeroy, Zaxby’s CEO and partner of the upscale quick-service restaurant chain founded in Athens, Georgia, will become chairman of the business after more than 30 years in that position. The organization’s new CEO, Bernard Acoca, has been named. While McLeroy’s continuous engagement will guarantee that Zaxby’s ethos and founder-led history continue to serve as a guideline, Acoca’s expertise in running most of the best restaurant ideas in the country will be crucial in fostering the company’s development.

Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley, boyhood friends who started Zaxby’s Chicken in 1990, provide mouthwatering sandwiches, salads, wings, and chicken fingers in a friendly environment. The company now has more than 900 outlets spread across 17 states thanks to supporting a committed, proactive franchisee group. McLeroy remarked that his journey as Zaxby’s’ leader had been amazing and transformative.

He is very lucky to have worked with a special group of outstanding teammates and company partners who all have a similar dedication to their mission.

Bernard Acoca is a skilled leader with more than twenty years of experience as a strategist and manager in the food sector. Since March 2018, he has held the positions of chairman and CEO of El Pollo Loco. Acoca oversaw the brand’s transformation over approximately the last three years. During that time, rear-of-the-house and drive-through operations were standardized, digital e-commerce quickly advanced, and the brand expanded with a new contemporary restaurant, doubling down on the L.A.-Mex company stance design in anticipation of strong company growth locally.

Previously, Bernard Acoca spent seven years working at Starbucks as a part of the Executive Board in several roles, including executive vice president, Sales & Classification for the citizens, where he was responsible for managing revenue sources totaling $9B in revenues and chairman of Teavana. Acoca spent ten years at Yum! Brands and was formerly L’Oréal’s sales and marketing director for the Americas. Click here to learn more.

Additional information about Acoca can be found on https://www.restaurantnews.com/zaxbys-ceo-and-co-founder-zach-mcleroy-to-transition-to-chairman-bernard-acoca-appointed-as-new-chief-executive-officer-102621/