Downtown Ministries, Inc. to Expand Opportunities for Athens-Area Children
Athens, GA (RestaurantNews.com) Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc. has donated $70,000 to Downtown Ministries, Inc. to aid in the development of its new school, Downtown Academy. The school will become an additional platform for the ministries’ ongoing efforts to provide educational programs to children from low-income neighborhoods in Athens.
“Downtown Ministries has continued to support the Athens community by providing opportunities that may not otherwise be available to these families,” said Blake Bailey, chief financial officer of Zaxby’s. Bailey has a longstanding relationship with Downtown Ministries and currently serves on its board. “Zaxby’s is honored to help expand the efforts of the Ministries to offer these kids the resources to excel and grow” said Bailey.
Downtown Academy will be located in the heart of downtown Athens and is scheduled to open in August 2013. In addition to educational programs, the ministries provide sports, tutoring, cub scouts and training resources. The initial enrollment will include kindergarten and first grade children with 12 to 15 students per class.
The ministries held a luncheon on October 23 to celebrate the donation towards the school’s construction. The donation for the build was presented by Bailey, Robert Baxley, chief operating officer, and additional corporate staff of Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc. Attendees of the donation presentation included Athens-Clarke Mayor Nancy Denson and members of the ministries’ board.
About Zaxby’s
An alternative to fast food, Zaxby’s offers its guests prepared-at-order Chicken Fingerz, Jumbo Buffalo Wings, sandwiches, Zalads and Zappetizers, along with a variety of nine sauces ranging from Wimpy and Tongue Torch to Nuclear and Insane. Childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley hatched the Athens, Ga.-based chain in 1990 to provide a fun, relaxing atmosphere that would keep guests coming back for more. The company ranked number seven in the 2012 Top 10 Excellent Large Fast-Food Chains With 500 Or More U.S. Units Quick-Track study published by Sandelman & Associates. The chain also ranked number five in the nation for total sales and number one in the chicken segment in the 2012 Top 150 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report published by Technomic. Zaxby’s operates more than 560 locations in 13 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. For more information, please visit zaxbys.com, facebook.com/zaxbys or follow on Twitter @Zaxbys.