Guernsey Holdings, a US-based restaurant franchisee that owns and operates a wide portfolio of franchised businesses, has announced the acquisition of 20 Zaxby's restaurants in South Carolina.

Financial details of the deal have not been divulged by the companies.

National Franchise Sales (NFS), a seasoned entity in the resale of franchise restaurants, represented the Performance Management Group (PMG) - a prominent Zaxby's operator - for the sale.

NFS, established in 1978, serves franchisees and franchisors across the US.

PMG was one of Zaxby's original licensees. Its administration vice-president Candice Anderson said: “Guernsey has a proven track record of helping companies build long-term value.

“In recent years, we have made meaningful progress that has resulted in above-average same-store sales growth. With Guernsey as our partner, we look forward to accelerating this trend.”

With $2.4bn in system-wide sales and 922 restaurants, Zaxby's is a quick-service US restaurant brand known for its chicken-focused menu and variety of sauces.

The brand has been serving customers for more than three decades, offering chicken wings, chicken fingers, sandwiches and salads.

The acquisition was a collaborative effort, with Guernsey partnering with PMG's founders Candice Anderson and Chad Ham to buy the restaurants from licensees Jim and Britt Poston.

Guernsey Holdings founder and CEO Mike James said: “We are excited to partner with the talented PMG management team and an exceptional group of employees.

“We have particular expertise in building multi-unit franchised restaurant platforms and then driving growth. We look forward to leveraging that experience to continue Zaxby’s success.”

Jim and Britt Poston were among the early business starters for Zaxby's in 1997.

In August 2023, Guernsey Holdings selected XMReality to supply its remote guidance software to facilitate remote collaboration between colleagues and suppliers across its locations.