I love supporting local businesses, as well as helping to promote national brands who have a great story to tell in Atlanta. SJAC Food Groups reached out to me to bring me into one of their Atlanta Zaxby's locations to try their food, and I was excited to learn how such a large, recognizable brand was connecting with their customers locally.
While meeting with the SJAC team over dinner, I was so impressed to learn that SJAC Food Groups is the largest Black-owned Zaxby's licensee in the nation. President & CEO Sterling Coleman has been working with Zaxby's for over 16 years, and now owns 8 locations in Georgia, with a 9th location opening up on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in early 2020.
In total, SJAC owns 17 restaurants in 12 cities, with 28 more locations on the way - the growth trajectory is so impressive, with the potential to bring their commitment to enriching lives to so many more people nationally, while still keeping a local feel in each store.
Despite Zaxby's being a national brand, Mr. Coleman has focused a ton on community engagement and connecting with customers through his restaurants; he's active in the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and was recently featured in an Atlanta Business Chronicle article highlighting his success. He's also established a coach & mentor program to development leadership skills within the SJAC organization, especially for those who are interested in franchising and entrepreneurship.
Take a look at the photos below to see some of the tasty bites we tried + our meeting with the SJAC team at their Smyrna Zaxby's location!
PS - click here to see the all of the metro Atlanta-area SJAC/Zaxby's locations! My favorite is the Ponce location, just down the street from me in Old Fourth Ward :)
This post was created in partnership with SJAC Food Groups, but all opinions are my own.