Zaxby's Bets Big on Digital Growth

Opening Moment

From the hub of Atlanta’s fast-lane dining scene to the quiet cadence of a corporate dashboard, Zaxby's is rethinking the cadence of guest contact. The appointment of Chris Kung as chief digital officer signals a deliberate pivot toward loyalty, e-commerce, and a seamless, multi-channel conversation with diners. The brand, now operating more than 950 locations across 17 states since its 1990 founding, invites a new discipline: making digital touchpoints feel intentional rather than incidental. If expansion writes the headline, this move writes the subtext—the translation of growth into personalized interaction. The question is not whether the channels will multiply, but how the guest experience will be harmonized across them.

In announcing the change, Bernard Acoca, the CEO of Zaxby's, framed Kung’s arrival as a cornerstone of the company’s growth playbook: “Zaxbys rapid expansion requires the investment of world-class leaders and resources.” He added a second emphasis: “Chris's expertise in e-commerce and loyalty programs will help drive incremental growth and enhance the Zaxby’s experience as digital touchpoints continue to proliferate throughout the customer journey.” Kung will oversee the loyalty and e-commerce initiatives, report directly to Acoca, and spearhead the consolidation of responsibilities long shared by Mike Nettles and Patrick Schwing. It is a reshaping that suggests a future where strategy and execution walk hand in hand. This is where the real narrative begins.

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Career Foundation

Behind the new title stands a track record in the art of digital transformation. Chris Kung arrives from Dollar General, where he helped steer the retailer’s digital evolution, and his earlier leadership at Macy’s Inc. connected omnichannel growth to a more personal customer experience. At Zaxby's, he is expected to assemble a dedicated loyalty and e-commerce team, consolidating duties that had rested with Mike Nettles and Patrick Schwing. This realignment is not a mere reshuffle: it signals a broader move to unite marketing, technology, and loyalty under one strategic umbrella. The industry has watched such consolidations as prerequisites to cohesive guest journeys, and Zaxby’s is leaning into that logic.

Observers note that the integration of loyalty programs and e-commerce infrastructure has become essential as restaurants cultivate more touchpoints beyond the in-store moment. Nation's Restaurant News notes that Kung was hired last year as chief digital officer to accelerate this work, including Zaxby’s loyalty program Zax Rewards, first launched in October 2022. The pattern is clear: a centralized team is expected to translate data-driven intent into more relevant offers, faster service, and steadier revenue streams in an increasingly omnichannel environment. In short, the menu now includes digital depth alongside fried chicken and sauces.

Architectural Shift

Zaxby’s pausing to chart its digital future reveals a deliberate architecture: a centralized digital leadership model designed to convert strategy into a cohesive guest experience across channels. By creating a dedicated loyalty and e-commerce team, Zaxby’s seeks to unite marketing, technology, and customer loyalty operations under a single strategic umbrella. The aim is a three-pillar approach—enhanced loyalty programs, robust e-commerce infrastructure, and an integrated marketing-technology ecosystem—that deepens engagement across the entire customer journey, whether in-restaurant, on mobile, or via delivery platforms. Industry observers emphasize that this isn’t cosmetic: it’s a blueprint for data-driven personalization and frictionless order-to-delivery experiences.

QSR Magazine has captured Kung’s philosophy in his own voice: a relentless push to grow digital sales and loyalty membership, and a conviction that every channel must serve a frictionless, differentiated experience. The article notes that the goal is to turn digital touchpoints into meaningful, incremental revenue streams, a language that resonates with Zaxby's’s ambition to blend gastronomy with data. The architecture described is not a luxury—it is a necessity in a landscape where guests expect personalization without delay, and where a well-timed suggestion can elevate a guest’s whole encounter.

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Strategic Emphasis

From the helm, Bernard Acoca casts Kung’s appointment as a strategic keystone in a broader growth playbook. He ties the move to the pace of expansion and to the need for world-class leadership to manage a rapidly scaling business. The language is measured, but the signal is clear: a digital core is no longer optional. Kung himself speaks with a calm confidence, telling industry circles that the work is ongoing optimization and iteration: delivering a frictionless, differentiated ordering experience across channels, with loyalty as a cornerstone of lasting relationships.

Even in its restraint, the brand hints at a narrative: digital isn’t a garnish; it is the sauce. The integration of leadership with a growing store network requires careful coordination across the on-premises teams, franchise partnerships, and delivery channels. The next quarters will reveal how swiftly the new loyalty and e-commerce team scales and how personalization translates into loyalty and incremental sales. This is not merely a structural change—it is a philosophy in motion, a promise to guests that amplification will be welcome and consistent.

Capital Context

Zaxby’s growth has long benefited from capital partnerships. In November 2020, Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division announced it would acquire a significant stake in Zaxby’s Operating Co. L.P., the parent company then headquartered in Athens, Georgia. The financing landscape around Zaxby’s also included a $985 million whole-biz bond offering, with Goldman Sachs and Guggenheim Securities serving as joint book-running managers, underscoring the financial market’s confidence in the brand’s expansion and its digital transformation agenda.

Taken together, Zaxby’s leadership shift and its capital-backed growth plan place a spotlight on the restaurant industry’s increasing reliance on digital competencies to sustain expansion. If Kung can translate strategy into faster, more personalized experiences across ordering channels, Zaxby’s could set new benchmarks for loyalty-driven growth in the quick-service segment. The combination of a high-profile executive appointment, a centralized digital team, and established capital backing creates a framework that other chains are likely to watch closely as they navigate evolving consumer expectations and intense competition in omnichannel engagement.

Opening Moment