Two Georgia boys who started flipping chicken fingers in a college town just joined the billionaire club. Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley prove the American Dream still works when government stays out of the way. These middle school buddies built Zaxby’s into a fried chicken empire without fancy degrees or coastal elites backing them.
Their story screams old-fashioned values. They risked $16,000 savings in 1990 – real money earned through sweat, not Silicon Valley handouts. While politicians push complicated schemes, these patriots kept it simple: crispy chicken, zesty sauces, and sports on TV. Now their 900-plus stores feed hardworking families across 17 states.
Zaxby’s growth shows what happens when businesses put people over politics. While woke corporations lecture Americans, McLeroy and Townley sponsor college football and military tributes. Their restaurants became community hubs where faith, family, and freedom matter more than divisive agendas.
The founders’ $1.2 billion fortunes didn’t come from government favors. They built it burger flip by burger flip while D.C. bureaucrats slept. Their recent CEO transition to industry veteran Bernard Acoca proves conservative leaders know when to pass the torch – unlike career politicians clinging to power.
This isn’t just about chicken. It’s a middle finger to the nanny state. While food police attack Southern cooking, Zaxby’s sells 12 signature sauces proudly – no calorie counts shoved in customers’ faces. Freedom of choice built this brand, not some nutritionist’s clipboard.
The left hates success stories like this. They’d rather tax these billionaires than celebrate job creators. But McLeroy and Townley employ thousands, donate to local causes, and prove you don’t need Harvard degrees to win. Their story is Georgia grit beating coastal snobbery.
As Bidenomics fails Main Street, Zaxby’s expansion shines. New Maryland locations bring real jobs, not green energy pipedreams. While DC obsesses over pronouns, these patriots focus on perfecting crinkle fries and supporting troops through military sponsorships.
The lesson? Government can’t legislate success. Family, faith, and finger-licking recipes built this empire. Next time some politician claims you need their programs, remember – two Georgia boys with a fryer outsmarted every federal program ever created. That’s the power of American capitalism unleashed.
