Russell Holland named chief development officer of Zaxbys

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He previously served as vice president, head of real estate for Inspire Brands.

June 12, 2026

Zaxbys has named Russel Holland as chief development officer, effective immediately. He has served as interim CDO since February 2026, succeeding Mike Mettler, who had served in that role since 2022. 

Holland has nearly 20 years of experience, including most recently as vice president and head of real estate for Inspire Brands, parent company of Dunkin’, Sonic, Buffalo Wild Wings, Arby’s, and more. Prior, he was vice president of real estate at Waffle House, where he spent nearly 13 years in escalating roles.

“Russ not only has a proven track record of success improving workflows and supporting profitable growth across QSR brands, but he also has a leadership style that fits the Zaxbys brand,” CEO Bernard Acoca said in a statement. “I am confident in our brand’s ability to continue expanding nationally to share Zaxbys secret sauce with more guests under Russ’ leadership.”

As CDO, Holland is tasked with leading Zaxbys' aggressive growth strategy. Following the milestone opening of its 1,000th restaurant in February, Zaxbys now operates across 23 states and is accelerating expansion into key new markets, including New York, Maryland, Phoenix, and Chicago. The brand is targeting an acceleration of restaurant openings in 2026, supported by flexible formats that include traditional dine-in, drive-thru-only, and non-traditional locations such as college campuses and military bases. 

In 2025, Zaxbys grew its footprint by 3.7% and ended the year with $2.8 billion in sales, marking a 5.2% year-over-year increase, according to Technomic. 

Holland holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.

“I’m thrilled to join Zaxbys at such an exciting time for the brand’s expansion story and continued national growth,” Holland said in a statement. “I look forward to collaborating with Zaxbys seasoned leadership team and franchisees to continue delivering the exceptional Zaxbys experience to communities nationally.”

Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected] 

Follow her on TikTok: @aliciakelso 

About the Author

Alicia Kelso

Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com, and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America, and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.

Follow her on TikTok @aliciakelso

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