Joe Nedza’s mission is to build strong people through leadership development as the founder and owner of Baddie’s Burger House and Hot or Not Chicken Co. in Athens.
The entrepreneur opened the first Baddie’s in December 2022 in the Five Points neighborhood. The restaurant serves smash burgers, hand-cut fries and housemade pudding.
Nedza graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s in business administration in 2016. Nedza’s first business, which served waffles and ice cream, closed in 2022. Nedza opened Hot or Not Chicken Co., which serves Nashville-style hot chicken, in April 2026, in the former Weaver D’s Delicious Fine Foods location on East Broad Street.
Nedza discussed during an interview in September the slow growth of sole ownership, the lessons he learned from operating his first business and the expansion of Baddie’s Burger House to UGA’s Tate Student Center.
Q: You said you are committed to the slow, painful growth of sole ownership instead of exploring potential franchising opportunities. How does that philosophy guide your day-to-day business operations and in the long run?
A: I don’t operate in a five, 10-year horizon. I have to make decisions for what’s good for the company and my family for the next 1,000 years. I’m also very particular. I’m kind of a control freak. The guy who founded Zaxbys wanted to buy the business. I did not want to give up anything, so I’m willing to take longer and learn the hard way. The way to learn to not get hit in the mouth is to get hit in the mouth, realize how much it sucks and then duck the next time. Everyday, I am ready to get punched in the face. Then, I learn how to wear a helmet or duck. That’s just how I do life.
Q: Going back to that first business, Nedza’s, what did you take away from that initial experience and how do you implement those moments into your current business model?
A: Integrity is important. I have to be the same person all the time. I am who I say I am. Nedza’s taught me the lesson of trying to be all things for all people. You can’t. We sold waffles and ice cream for four years and our sales went up for four years. Then, I introduced donuts and our sales went up a little bit, but it was way more work. People would be like, “You should sell this.” I’d be like, “Great idea, I’ll sell that.” I found myself in an identity crisis. I just did whatever I thought anyone wanted. With Baddie’s, I’ve been like, “This is who we are. This is who I am. This is what we do. This is what I do. And if you don’t like it, that’s OK. I’m not going to change who I am for you. I am not going to change my business.” I learned that lesson by almost going bankrupt.
Q: Looking back to Baddie’s at Tate, do you have any major concerns for that new expansion?
A: Marc Andreessen from Andreessen Horowitz is crazy, but he’s brilliant. He said, as a founder, you operate in two spheres. It’s either complete terror or ecstasy. I’m either in or I’m out. I’m great or I’m horrific. I’m terrified. The rent’s not cheap. You can’t suck at Tate. If you do suck, everyone is going to talk about it. You’ve got hundreds of thousands of people going through there every year. They’re all getting a look. What if 2,000 people leave class and want Baddie’s at Tate and they only have 10 minutes to get it? We’ve never had to deal with that.
Comments edited for length and clarity.
