Dive Brief:
- Zaxbys extended operating hours and added a limited-time deal at participating locations for the summer on Monday, according to a press release.
- The chain’s temporary late-night Zappetizer Trio — a mix-and-match of three appetizers and three sauces — is available from participating locations only after 8 p.m. for $9.99.
- Other restaurant chains, like Pizza Hut and Wendy’s, have looked to the late-night daypart as an opportunity to drive fresh traffic, despite the potential increase in expenses entailed by later operating hours.
Dive Insight:
Zaxbys’ strategy is distinct because the brand is incentivizing late-night visits by offering a daypart-specific deal. It’s not clear how long Zaxbys’ extended operating hours will last, but the brand framed the change as a celebration of summer evenings, and said the new deal was intended for consumers who are “coming home from a ball game, wrapping up a night out with friends or simply need to satisfy those post-dinner cravings.”
Zaxbys did not immediately respond to a request to clarify how many of its stores were open past 8 p.m., or when, and to what extent, operating hours have changed.
But the brand is far from alone in looking to late-night dining as an opportunity. Earlier this year, Waffle House, which is already open 24/7, beefed up its late-night offerings by offering delivery from 500 locations. In 2023, Pizza Hut began pushing operators to extend hours to midnight or beyond, while Wendy’s emphasized late-night dining as an important opportunity to increase traffic. Last year, both White Castle and Portillo’s made significant operational changes to support dining late at night.
As Zaxbys expands and enters new markets, like Maryland, the chain has made a number of changes to its menu, marketing and operating strategy. In October, Zaxbys promoted several LTOs to permanent menu items and rolled out boxed meals as a value play. That move was followed earlier this year by the deployment of drive-thru cameras meant to measure key metrics like speed of service. The chain is also leaning into its dipping sauces in an effort to capitalize on the broad popularity of chicken chains with consumers.
