ZACHARY’S ARTIST PROFILE: STEW ELLINGTON

The walls of our restaurants are filled with one-of-a-kind Zachary’s Pizza Art. We held our first art contest in the late 1980′s and the tradition has continued every couple of years since. We love our art and the artists. We are excited to be able to use our blog as a medium for our community to get to know our artists better. Meet Stew Ellington!

A colorful artwork featuring a green scooter with a pepperoni pizza slice as a wheel. The background is yellow with vertical stripes in red and blue. Text reads, Not just a pizza... A lifestyle. A circled arrow points upwards.For the first 30 years of my life, art was hugely important to me. At one time I had wanted to be an artist for a living. I made art in all sorts of media and in 2001 earned a master of fine arts degree in painting. After earning my degree, however, I completely lost interest in painting and avoided it for about 15 years. In fact, the poster I made for the Zachary’s contest is the first painting I’ve done since grad school! In the meantime, I’ve filled in the creative gaps of my life with photography and writing; I’ve designed and published two cocktail recipe books, among other creative projects.

I had wanted to enter the Zachary’s poster contest for years but could never think of an image I wanted to use. Plus, I was loath to pick up a paintbrush again for fear I would have lost my skills! Finally, it occurred to me I should just paint something I’m passionate about and make it work for the contest, and I happen to love vintage Italian Vespa scooters. The idea to create the front wheel out of a Zachary’s deep-dish pizza popped into my head and, eureka! I was on my way. I crossed my fingers and hoped I could still pull off a reasonably convincing painting after a 15-year hiatus.

I love how the Italian-ness of the scooter reflects the Italian(ish)-ness of pizza. I had a great time creating my poster in the style of vintage Vespa ads from Italy, with lots of bright, primary colors and cartoonish renderings. The official slogan of Vespa, “Not just a scooter… a lifestyle,” lent itself well to referencing Zachary’s pizza and providing a title for my piece. I’m really glad I was able to break my painting dry-spell with one that was so purely fun to do. Thanks, Zachary’s, for the opportunity and for years of awesome pizza! I’m so glad to finally be a part of this community event.

ZACHARY’S ARTIST PROFILE: ZOE BOSTON

 The walls of our restaurants are filled with one-of-a-kind Zachary’s Pizza Art. We held our first art contest in the late 1980′s and the tradition has continued every couple of years since. We love our art and the artists. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Zoë Boston!

A vibrant painting of two exaggerated high-heeled shoes shaped like pizzas, with pepperoni and cheese. The text Zacharys appears twice, and Walking on Sunshine! is written in blue on a bright yellow background.

My name is Zoë Boston and I have been creating art of many forms since I was a little girl. Currently, I am a singer/songwriter/rapper/painter and am in a music group called “Team Zoe”. We perform down town every month at Oakland’s First Friday’s!
“Walking on Sunshine” was inspired by my passion for food, visual art, and fashion. I love the challenge of combining the three to make tasty looking masterpieces. I believe Great food, great art, and great fashion have the power to uplift your spirits and truly make you feel like you’re walking on sunshine! I’m so pleased in knowing that my art was chosen to grace the walls of one of the best pizza places in the Bay Area.
Close-up of a person wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, outdoors on a sunny day. They are lying on green grass with a slight smile, looking at the camera. The lighting highlights one side of their face.I was born in Los Angeles, CA, raised in upstate New York, and have lived in the Bay Area for about four years now. I love almost everything about the Bay Area. It’s beauty and diversity is something truly unmatched and the food, culture, and fashion are eclectic.
My favorite go-to Zachary’s pizza is a  medium deep dish with pineapples, sausage, and ricotta cheese. I always put ranch and extra parmesan cheese on top! So good! I enjoy treating my friends to some Zachary’s over a good conversation. I will continue to enjoy Zachary’s and plan to participate in the art contest for years to come.

KALE SALAD IS BACK IN OAKLAND AND BERKELEY

A fresh salad with kale, sliced cucumber, green apple wedges, and carrot sticks, topped with pumpkin seeds and drizzled with a creamy dressing, served on a white plate.Okay, kale lovers, we heard you! Our Kale salad is back in Oakland and Berkeley. This perfectly refreshing salad has kale (of course!), feta, matchstick carrots, green apples, cucumber, and roasted pumpkin seeds. It’s tossed in our house-made Tahini dressing. It’s light, refreshing, and tasty. AND it’s a perfect way to get some veggies in before moving on to PIZZA!

NEW PIZZA SPECIALS AT ALL LOCATIONS: HOT LINK & HAWAIIAN

Close-up of a pepperoni pizza with melted cheese and herbs on a wooden table. In the background, there are small jars containing red pepper flakes and grated cheese.

We’ve got two in-demand specials coming back TODAY!

The ever-popular Hot Link pizza special is back in Oakland and Berkeley! This crew and customer favorite is stuffed with sliced Louisiana Hot Link sausage, fresh cilantro and mozzarella cheese. It’s a little bit spicy and a lot-a bit YUM.

Two pizzas on a wooden table: one is a deep-dish with pepperoni and green peppers, partially visible on the left; the other is a thin crust topped with pineapple, ham, and green onions on the right.In Pleasant Hill and San Ramon, our Hawaiian pizza is back in action! This pie has Canadian bacon, pineapple, green onion and pepper jack cheese. Regional Manager, Luis Ibarra, whipped up this tasty spin on traditional Hawaiian pizza and it is top notch!

Both specials are available stuffed or thin crust for a limited time only!

BAH HUMBUG 5K!

A group of people in festive costumes pose together outdoors. They wear red shirts, colorful tutus, and novelty hats, holding a Zacharys sign. The setting is a courtyard with stone walls and string lights above.Twelve of our awesomely energetic employee owners participated in San Ramon’s Bah Humbug 5K Run and Walk! They ran, they walked and they had a blast doing it!

Rewards were given out for best group costume. The Grinch Who Stole Zachary’s and our Who-Crew came in second place!

A group of people in festive costumes chase after someone dressed as the Grinch. Theyre all wearing red shirts, colorful tutus, and holiday accessories. The Grinch holds a large box with a logo. Its a cheerful outdoor scene.Long time employee owner, and Assistant Manager in our San Ramon and Pleasant Hill region, Lobsang Dharchen, said, “I am proud to represent my company… Doing (the) 5K with my cowokers feels like I am having fun with such a great team!”

We are super proud of this fab running crew! Keep your eyes peeled for them at the 2018 Oakland Running Festival!

HOLIDAY HOURS 2017

A person in a blue Santa outfit lies on the ground, gazing up at a glowing Christmas tree made of pizza slices and tomatoes. The text below reads, Have yourself a very merry Zacharys Pizza.Closed – Christmas Eve

Closed – Christmas Day

Closed – New Year’s Day

New Year’s Eve – Closing Early (8:30 Dine In, 9pm Take Out)

ZACHARY’S HOLIDAY PARTY 2017!

Zachary’s celebrated the holidays at Lake Chalet in Oakland! We ate, we laughed, we took too many photo booth pics and we danced the night away! It’s always a blast to see everyone gussied up for a special event. We are truly lucky to work with so many AMAZING employee owners!

A group of five people posing at a party. They are wearing various fun and oversized glasses, and some have beaded necklaces. The background is a plain white curtain. They are smiling and appear to be enjoying themselves.A man with a beard smiles while holding another man wearing a red bow tie and black shirt, who is laughing. They are posing playfully in front of a white curtain. Three people posing against a white curtain. One wears reindeer antlers, another has a red cowboy hat and oversized yellow glasses, and the third person holds a microphone, leaning in while smiling. They all appear to be having fun. Four people pose against a white curtain. The person in the center wears a red hat and holds a staff, while the person on the right wears a crown. The people on the left and center right smile, creating a lighthearted atmosphere. A group of six people posing playfully in a photo booth. They are wearing oversized glasses and hats, with one person holding a magnifying glass. The background is a white curtain, and everyone appears to be having fun.

Three men pose for a photo. One wears a red cowboy hat, another holds a decorative sword, and the third holds a pipe. They stand in front of a photo booth backdrop with text at the top.

Four people posing for a photo in front of a white curtain. Three men and one woman are standing together, dressed in casual to semi-formal attire, holding drinks, and looking in different directions.Three men stand together outdoors at night, smiling. The man in the center wears a scarf and casual outfit, while the other two wear suits and ties. They have their arms around each other. The background shows a building with lights.Four men are standing closely together and smiling in a warmly lit indoor setting. One is wearing a festive red sweater with a Christmas design, while the others are dressed in dark, casual attire. Holiday decorations hang from the ceiling.Two men smiling and standing together in a warmly lit room with a wooden ceiling and exposed beams. The man on the left wears a white shirt and dark suit jacket, while the man on the right wears a dark coat. People and lights are visible in the background.

A man wearing a crown and a woman with reindeer antlers smile and embrace in front of a white curtain. The man is in a dark shirt, and the woman is in a white top.

POMEGRANATE PERSIMMON SALAD IN OAKLAND AND BERKELEY

A white oval plate with a fresh salad of arugula, sliced persimmons, pomegranate seeds, and thin onion strips, set on a rustic wooden table background.We can’t think of a better way to celebrate nature’s Winter-time treats than with a brand new salad! Our Oakland and Berkeley menus will be featuring the Pomegranate Persimmon Salad (say that five times fast!) for the next several weeks! This beautiful salad sits on a bed of arugula and comes with shaved Parmesan cheese and our house-made shallot vinaigrette. The sweetness of the persimmon is a perfect match for the peppery arugula and the tart pomegranate. We are excited to try out a brand new salad and we hope you are too!

PIZZA SPECIALS: ZA-CURRY’S CHICKEN AND CHICKEN ALFREDO

Person in a blue basketball team tank top holding a cheese pizza with several slices cut, placed on a round tray.We are bringing back the Za-Curry’s Chicken pizza in Oakland and Berkeley! In celebration of our beloved Warriors, we created this flavorful special that we feature once or twice a (basketball) season. It’s packed with curry spiced free range chicken and onion, golden raisins and mozzarella cheese. It’s available as a thin crust pizza for a limited time only!

A close-up of a pizza with melted cheese, spinach, bacon, and chicken on a thick crust. The pizza is placed on a metal pan, and a slice is partially removed. The background shows a wooden table surface.

 

 

In San Ramon and Pleasant Hill, we are featuring the Zachary’s Chicken Alfredo pizza. This pizza is a bit different for us because it is tomato-sauce free! It’s made with alfredo sauce, our free range chicken breast, fresh spinach, bacon, and mozzarella cheese. It’s also available as a thin crust only for a limited time.

GOODBYE JEFF!

One of the things that we are the most proud of is our long term relationship with our suppliers. We are truly fortunate to have close relationships with several companies that keep us stocked with fresh and delicious ingredients to make our pizza and various other products that we need to keep our restaurants running smoothly. In fact, when our founders, Zach Zachowski and Barbara Gabel, decided to retire, they were keenly aware of the impact that ending a relationship with a distributor could have on the distributor’s business. A perk of Zach and Barbara’s decision to sell the company to the employees (read more about our ESOP here), was that our relationships with our distributors stayed intact!

We were reminded of the notability of our relationship with one such supplier, Mike Hudson Distributing, based in Petaluma, CA, when we learned about one of our long term delivery drivers getting a route change. Jeff has been delivering to Zachary’s for 14 years!! He learned a few weeks ago that he could have the opportunity to drive in Humboldt County. This was a good move for him, so he let us know that he was saying good bye. The management team immediately moved to put together a Zachary’s care package for him, wrapped up in one of the pizza boxes he has been delivering to us since 2003. Here is a picture of Jeff cheesin’ with Zachary’s employee owners Mario, Arturo and Hugo:
Four men are standing in a storage room filled with stacks of pizza boxes and other supplies. They are casually dressed and smiling at the camera.

Shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but Jeff said he would miss us the most!

Best of luck to Jeff as he embarks on this new journey!

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