Zaxbys, a Southern fast food chain known for chicken, is heading north to the Philadelphia region in 2025 — and the expansion announcement comes about a year after the company mocked the city with its attempt at the cheesesteak.
Ten Zaxbys restaurants are planned for Pennsylvania, particularly in the Southeast, and six locations are planned for New Jersey, the Georgia-based franchise announced last week. Zaxbys said it will begin infiltrating the region next year.
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The locations near Philadelphia will open over the next five years, with the first two slated for 2025. In South Jersey, two restaurants will open in the summer of 2025. The exact locations have not yet been announced.
To add insult to injury, a commercial for the Fried Chicken Philly starred Dolph Lundgren, who played “Rocky” villain Ivan Drago. The company also claimed it was considering dispatching a food truck to the city to allow residents the chance to sample the sandwich, but it’s unclear if that ever came to fruition. Philly residents gave Zaxbys a piece of their mind during a series of TikTok interviews asking their thoughts on the sandwich.
“I feel like you guys are trying to make people hate you,” a man in an Eagles hat said. A young Philadelphian added, “No one can f— with the original.”
Following Zaxbys’ (playful) affronts last year, it remains to be seen whether or not the people of the region will embrace the arrival of the fast food chain to our region. Perhaps they’ll bring back the Fried Chicken Philly as an olive branch of sorts, so we can at least find out whether it was worth the trolling.
