Zaxby’s CEO and co-founder Zach McLeroy will become company chairman, effective January 2022. Former El Pollo Loco executive Bernard Acoca will become Zaxby’s CEO.

Prior to joining El Pollo Loco in March of 2018, Acoca spent seven years at Starbucks as a member of the coffee company’s leadership team, including serving as senior vice president, marketing and category for the Americas. Earlier this month, Acoca stepped away from his role at El Pollo Loco.

McLeroy and Tony Townley founded Zaxby’s in 1990. The chain’s menu includes chicken fingers, wings, sandwiches and salads. The company has more than 900 locations spanning 17 states. In November of 2020, Goldman Sachs acquired a stake in Zaxby’s to help drive the chain’s growth plans.