Zoës Kitchen

Zoës Kitchen

Company type	Restaurant
Traded as	NYSE: ZOES
Industry	Fast Casual
Founded	1995 in Homewood, Alabama
Founder	Marcus and Zoë Cassimus
Headquarters	Plano, Texas , U.S.
Number of locations	105 stores
Key people	Kevin Miles (CEO)
Products	Sandwiches Pitas Salads Soups Kabobss Other food products
Website	zoeskitchen.com

Zoës Kitchen is a fast growing, fast casual restaurant concept serving a distinct menu of fresh, wholesome, Mediterranean-inspired dishes delivered with Southern Hopstiatlty. Founded in 1995 by Zoë Cassimus in Birmingham, Alabama, Zoes Kitchen is a natural extension of Zoë Cassimus’ lifetime passion for cooking Mediterranean meals for family and friends. Since opening the first restaurant, they have not wavered from the commitment to make food fresh daily and to serve customers in a warm and welcoming environment.

History

Zoës Kitchen was originally incorporated in Jefferson County Probate Court in June 1995 as Zoe's Kitchen, Inc.[2] Founded by Zoë Cassimus, the early years of growth were led by her son, John.[3] Originally, the restaurants were not franchised, with Cassimus retaining a 51 percent ownership stake in all newly opened locations.[4] Its first location would open in October 1995 in downtown Homewood.[5] A second location opening in the Riverchase section of Hoover in 1999 and a third in downtown Birmingham in March 2001.[3] The restaurant would continue its expansion with the opening of its first store outside the Birmingham area in Tuscaloosa in May 2001 and its first out-of-state location in Nashville, Tennessee in the fall of 2001.[6] By 2006, Zoës had expanded to sixteen restaurants, with eight located in Alabama and others located in Phoenix, Nashville, Memphis, Baton Rouge and Destin.[7] With 20 stores open by 2007, Cassimus would sell a majority ownership stake to Brentwood Associates of Los Angeles.[8] Following the purchase, Cassimus announced that he would remain as chief executive, the company would remain headquartered in Birmingham and that the menu would not be affected. Additionally it was revealed that the sale could potentially result in the opening of 200 new franchises over the next five years.[8] By Spring 2008 GE Capital Solutions loaned the company $10 million to allow for the development of 50 new stores across the southeast and southwest.[9] In November 2008, Cassimus would resign with Greg Dollarhyde taking his place as CEO.[10] Formerly the CEO of Baja Fresh, Dollarhyde announced that he will be looking to expand the restaurant to new locales with two-thirds remaining company owned and the remainder being franchised.[10] Kevin Miles, who joined Zoës in 2009 after working at Luby’s, Pollo Campero and Baja Fresh, succeeded Greg Dollarhyde as president in March 2011. As of August 2011, Zoës has 6 franchised stores and the rest are company-owned [114]. Miles announced that Zoës would focus on company owned growth in the future. Company home office was relocated to Plano, Texas. In April of 2014 Zoe’s Kitchen, Inc completed an Initial Public Offering. The stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (ZOES) and priced at $15. Zoës launched online ordering in 2011 and a mobile loyalty app in 2013. Zoës Kitchen continues to educate guests about the benefits of Living Mediterranean.

Menu

Born in the Mediterranean and Raised in the South. Zoes Kitchen serves Mediterranean inspired dishes and hand-washes, cuts and prepares each item from scratch in the kitchen because as Zoë says, “if it wasn’t food 100 years ago, it’s not food today.” Nothing is fried and there are no microwaves. What you’ll find at Zoës Kitchen is an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs, olive oil and lean proteins; all while keeping the guests’ dietary concerns in mind-- with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options.

Zoës Kitchen offers various kabobs, salads, sandwiches, and made from scratch Hummus. At Zoës, customers can dine in, order online or call ahead for takeout; purchase a variety of fully prepared Dinner for Four; pick up side dishes by the pint; and take advantage of the extensive catering menu, which includes box lunches, party trays and meals for large groups that can be delivered locally.

Locations

As of June 2014, Zoës Kitchen has 120 locations throughout fifteen states of the United States.

Catering

Each location is serviced by a professional Catering Sales Manager or Area Sales Manager. From office lunches to large events, Zoës Kitchen will deliver an assortment of simple, tasty and fresh food. Packages for every event are available, including a variety of Party Packs for social occasions. A rewards program is also available to frequent customers.

External links

• Zoës Kitchen
• Zoës Kitchen Corporate