Zoe's Kitchen
Zoë's Kitchen is a "fast casual" restaurant chain with 21 locations in Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Arizona. The restaurant features fresh-made Greek-inspired meals for dine in and take out. The company is controlled by Brentwood Associates, a Los Angeles, California-based investment firm. The restaurant chain's main office is located at 2901 2nd Avenue South in the Martin Biscuit Building at Pepper Place.
The first Zoë's was opened in 1995 by Marcus and Zoë Cassimus in a 900-square-foot space in downtown Birmingham. The couple later relocated to Homewood. In 1999 the Cassimus' son, John approached them to propose expanding the business. He purchased the development rights with partner Archie Andrews and brought in CFO Kasey Burleson. They opened a second location in Riverchase and, within four years, the chain had six locations, including restaurants in Tuscaloosa and Nashville, Tennessee.
The chain replaced its hand-painted chicken logo with a bright new corporate identity and prototype interior designed by Chute Gerdeman of Columbus, Ohio. Local schoolchildren provide artwork to decorate the interiors. The redesign debuted in the chain's flagship store in One Federal Place in 2003.
In late October 2007 Cassimus sold a majority stake in the business to Brentwood Associates. Cassimus remained CEO while Greg Dollarhyde, formerly of Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, became chairman. After the sale, Cassimus expressed hopes that the company would be able to open as many as 200 locations across the South and Southwest over the next five years. Dollarhyde was named CEO after Cassimus stepped down in November 2008. Trey Hornsby was appointed COO to manage day-to-day operations in Birmingham.
In April 2008 the company received a $1 million equity investment and a $10 million revolver loan from GE Capital Solutions Franchise Finance which will enable it to launch as many as 180 new locations over the next five years. 18 of those are set to open by December 2009 including locations in existing markets in Alabama, Arizona and Tennessee as well as Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Washington D. C.; Baltimore, Maryland; Austin, Texas; and Denver, Colorado.
Birmingham area locations
- Crestline Village (Mountain Brook)
- One Federal Place, 1819 5th Avenue North (Birmingham)
- Patton Creek Shopping Center (Hoover)
- SoHo Square, 1830 29th Avenue South (Homewood)
- The Summit, 323 Summit Boulevard (Birmingham)
References
- Zganjar, Leslie (July 21, 2003) "Zoë's loses the chicken, grows legs." Birmingham Business Journal
- Parham, Linda (July 29, 2003) "Zoë's Kitchen turns up heat with expansion plan, new look." Birmingham News
- Michael, Brooke (November 20, 2003) "New look, same family recipes." Birmingham Weekly
- Goodman, Sherri C. (November 2, 2007) "Zoë's Kitchen selling big stake." Birmingham News
- Cooper, Lauren B. (April 15, 2008) "Zoë's Kitchen to open 50 more restaurants." Birmingham Business Journal
- Williams, Roy L. (June 22, 2008) "Zoe's CEO plans 180 sites in five years." Birmingham News
- Williams, Roy L. (December 10, 2008) "New Zoe's Kitchen CEO wants to double the 21 locations within two years." Birmingham News
External links
- Zoë's Kitchen website
- Zoë's Kitchen Corporate website
- Zoë's Kitchen Nutrtion Facts (via DietFacts.com)