---
title: "Areas USA Opens 1st of 5 Zaxbys Units"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/01f005a2-7f2c-42a2-a83e-588be7e1a7b0
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/20261014_areas_usa_opens_1st_of_5_zaxbys_units.html
author: "M. Scott Morris"
category: "Chicken"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Chicken"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2026-10-14T08:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T14:43:17.915Z
image: https://imgs.franchising.com/art/articles/10888_plate.jpg
---

# Areas USA Opens 1st of 5 Zaxbys Units

**TL;DR:** Areas USA, a travel hospitality company, has opened the first of five Zaxby's units in Florida as part of a development deal. The agreement is part of Zaxby's long-term growth strategy and is the brand's largest nontraditional development agreement to date.

*By M. Scott Morris, originally published in Franchising.com on 2026-10-14. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/20261014_areas_usa_opens_1st_of_5_zaxbys_units.html).*

## Story

Areas USA, the nation's largest privately held travel hospitality company, signed a deal with Zaxbys to develop five restaurants at Florida Turnpike service plazas. The team recently opened the first unit on Sept. 29 at the Turkey Lake Service Plaza in Orlando.

The restaurant at 263 Florida's Turnpike will introduce millions of travelers each year to the chicken brand along a high-traffic Florida travel corridor. The deal is a step in Zaxbys' long-term growth strategy and is the brand's largest nontraditional development agreement to date. "With its bold flavors and Southern hospitality, Zaxbys is a great fit for these plazas.

We're proud to be part of Florida, home to our U.S. headquarters, and to partner with Zaxbys and Florida's Turnpike Enterprise on this expansion.

We've invested in these plazas, and we're excited to continue investing in their future. For us, hospitality is about making every stop a better experience with welcoming spaces, great service, and more choices for travelers," said Richard Schneider, chief development officer of Areas USA. The Areas agreement is part of Areas' longstanding partnership with Florida's Turnpike Enterprise to enhance the state's service plazas.

It establishes a scalable model for future growth while reinforcing Zaxbys' potential across broader nontraditional environments. "Today's guests expect convenience without compromising on quality, and this partnership allows us to meet them where they are," said Russ Holland, chief development officer at Zaxbys. "Working with Areas USA enables us to introduce the Zaxbys experience to millions of travelers each year while continuing to build on our nontraditional development strategy.

We're excited to expand into one of Florida's most heavily traveled corridors alongside a partner that shares our commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences."

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- unit expansion (topic)
- QSR (sector)
- partnership (topic)
- restaurant opening (topic)
- Florida (location)
- M. Scott Morris (person)
- Zaxby's (company)
- Areas USA (company)
- non-traditional development (topic)
- Russ Holland (person)
- Richard Schneider (person)

---
Originally reported by M. Scott Morris, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/20261014_areas_usa_opens_1st_of_5_zaxbys_units.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/01f005a2-7f2c-42a2-a83e-588be7e1a7b0).