Zaxby's eyes September opening

By JEFF D'ALESSIO

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Zaxby's is planning to build and open a restuarant next to Kohl's later this year.

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jdalessio@thenewsenterprise.com

HARDIN COUNTY — Kevin Maddox and his business partner have been living in southern Kentucky with an eye on opening a Zaxby’s restaurant in Elizabethtown for a long time.

Come September, the restaurant based primarily in the southeastern states, is expected to open here by Kohl's department store.

“We've had it (Elizabethtown) on our radar for the last few years,” said Maddox, who lives in Bowling Green. This will be the eighth franchise the business partners will own, including three Bowling Green locations.

“We had been looking for a long time and nothing  that we wanted had really come available,” Maddox said. “This is about as close to the mall as you can get. We're happy with where we're at.”

Zaxby's has locations in 11 states and its line of chicken fingers and wings is what it's primarily known for.

“Our main product is chicken fingers and we go from there,” he said. “We do have the Buffalo-style wings and sandwiches and salads, so there's variety.”

When Zaxby's does open, Maddox said this location will employ about 40 part-time and full-time employees. It will be an alcohol-free restaurant.

“We feel it's a benefit not to have it,” Maddox said.

The restaurant will feature drive-through and Maddox says plenty of the lunch and dinner crowd will pass that way.

“We probably do 50 percent of our business with our drive-through,” he said.

Jeff D'Alessio can be reached at (270) 505-1757.