Zoner’s Pizza, Wings & Waffles - Customer Highlight

“Get ready to hear a lot about Zoner’s,” said Herring, a foodie, specifically a pizza connoisseur. “For starters, it’s very clean, from the front of the house to the back of the house. Staff is friendly and Terran really cares about each customer. He’s hired attentive staff members that have a real passion for high-quality food.", says Herring.

Zoner’s purchases ranged from a 50qt gear driven spiral mixer made by Eurodib and stainless steel work prep tables from BK Resources to a pre-rinse faucet and an Southern Pride electric smoker. Herring’s involvement didn’t stop with sales. He sampled Zoner’s menu and reports back favorably.

“The smoked wings with mango habanero sauce are amazing," Herring added. "And the Taco Pizza. And the Buffalo Chicken Stromboli. As you can tell, I’m looking forward to my next trip to try something new.”

Nelson’s business relationship with Herring is an example of ACityDiscount’s customer service.

“I went in that first time and fell in love with the people, the atmosphere,” Nelson said of ACityDiscount’s showroom in Norcross, Ga. “Everybody’s working, everybody’s moving, everybody’s trying to help you. They take a special interest in you. They really want to know about your business, what they can do to help your business. They give you a lot of different ideas. I really appreciated that. That’s why they have my business.”

Is Zoner's Coming Your Way?

As of November 2018, Zoner’s has 14 locations in Georgia, Florida and Texas. The chain is based in The Woodlands, outside of Houston. In 2019, Zoner’s is actively pushing for national expansion. Here’s the full list of current Zoner's locations.

Sweet & Savory Treats

Back to waffles. Nelson thought back to the first time he tasted Herschel Walker's Famous Waffle: Liege waffles with Belgian pearl sugar crystals, dusted with powdered sugar and a topping of choice. “He couldn’t have made this; that has to be his grandma’s recipe,” Nelson remembered saying. “It’s really tasty. There’s a special pearl sugar that sets it off.”

What are Liege waffles? Simply put, the best waffles you’ll ever eat! So much so that there’s no need to consume them just for breakfast. In Europe, especially Belgium, liege waffles are a centuries-old street food (er, street treat!) that has such a natural sweetness, there’s no need for syrup.

Since retiring from the NFL – Walker played for Dallas, Minnesota, Philadelphia, New York (Giants) from 1986-1997 – he has amassed a growing business portfolio. Walker is the owner of Renaissance Man Food Services, a foodservice distributor. Its main selection is poultry. The company was founded in 1999. Walker is also owner of a promotions company (34 Promotions) and a drapery business.

The former running back who is famous for logging 3,500 sit-ups and 1,500 pushups - every day - years after retiring from football has transformed his work ethic to the business world.

“Just like everybody, I think he was a phenomenal football player,” Nelson said of Walker. “His work ethic was unreal. And it still is. If you see this guy now, you’d be like ‘Gee whiz.’ He is an exceptional businessman. He cares about the product he sells. He cares about the long-term goal… He actually cares about the company itself.”

Shout Out

“He’s very good at what he does. He’s very helpful and will do anything he can to help us get where we need to be.”

Zoner’s franchisee (Buford, Ga.) Terran Nelson talks about working with restaurant equipment pro Rudy Herring at ACityDiscount

Branding In Buford

If you cook it, they will come and eat it.

Sorry restaurateurs. It’s not that simple. That’s why Nelson believes cummunity relations is a priority in Buford as Zoner’s attempts to build brand awareness in the Greater Atlanta area – no easy task for restaurants.

“In Charleston (where Nelson still owns a different pizzeria), we opened the doors, cooked good food and people were knocking the doors down,” Nelson remembered. “Here in Buford, you can have good food, you can have a great atmosphere, but if you don’t continually stay on customers’ minds, stay in front of them, you can get lost in the shuffle. There’s just a lot going on, a lot of great places to eat. Your marketing has to be top-notch here in Georgia.”

That means a lot of sponsorships, events and handshakes.

So Much Pizza

Zoner’s menu reads like a pizza wish list. It’s a mix of the cheesy characters you’d expect (Meat, Deluxe, Veggie, Hawaiian, Margherita, Make Your Own Pizza), harder-to-find options (Chicken Parmesan, Buffalo Chicken, White, White Chicken) and several styles that are as creative as they are tasty (Country BBQ, Italian Steak, BBQ Trio and Taco).

The Country BBQ pizza is grilled chicken or slow-smoked pulled pork, mozzarella and sweet BBQ sauce. The BBQ Trio pizza is shredded chicken breast, slow-smoked pulled pork and a choice between bacon or Italian sausage, mozzarella and sweet BBQ sauce. The Taco Pizza is red sauce, mozzarella, taco seasoning and beef finished with hot sauce, jalapeno, lettuce, tomato and – you guessed it – more cheese. It’s served with a side of sour cream.

Zoner’s Buford location has seating for about 60. The ambiance includes several autographed photos of Walker. Delivery is available, as is catering. Said Nelson: “Come on by and give us a try. Tell a neighbor. Tell a friend.”

About Terran Nelson

• Hometown: Charleston, S.C.
• Favorite item on Zoner's menu: Buffalo chicken pizza

How It Came To Be

In early 2018, Stoner’s Pizza Joint was sold to a group of investors. Several franchisers (including Nelson) opted for a different direction, helping to start Zoner’s Pizza, Wings & Waffles.