ZACHARY’S WINS “JOB CREATOR AWARD” IN OAKLAND INDIE AWARDS

A dark glass bottle with a swing-top cap lies on a wooden surface. The label reads Indie Awards, 7th Annual, Zacharys Chicago Pizza, Job Creator in orange and white, with the date May 29, 2015.We are proud and honored to share the exciting news that we won the “Job Creator Award” in the 9th Annual Oakland Indie Awards!

From the Oakland Indie Awards website,

 “Zachary’s Chicago Pizza has not only created over 100 jobs in Oakland, but it also fosters a community of employees and customers who are passionate about supporting local business through local dining. Zachary’s is a 100% employee-owned company, and its employees are the only investors through the company’s ESOP program. The CEO started out as a dishwasher and recently celebrated his 30th year of employment!” A man in a red shirt is speaking at a podium labeled “Indie Awards” in front of a large image of a tree. There is blurry audience in the foreground. A plant is partially visible to the side.

We love being a part of Oakland! This is where our company started and this is our home. Thank you Oakland Indie Awards! And congrats to all of the other nominees and winners of this year’s Indie Awards!

 

 

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Two people smiling and holding a deep-dish pizza in a kitchen. The person on the left wears a black shirt, and the person on the right wears a red shirt and cap. The kitchen has patterned tile walls and a stainless steel stove.Hey All – my name is Becki. My Zachary’s Pizza business card has the title ‘People Person’. That is really a just a fun way to say—Human Resources with a dash of customer interaction! Since I am the one in the office the most—I check our company emails and help facilitate responses.  Once in a while I come across an opportunity where I can do something fun… and that’s exactly what happened a few months back.

I opened an email from an incredibly loyal customer (Angie) based in Southern California. Long story short, her husband’s (Michael) 50th birthday was coming up and she wanted to know if there was any way to get Zachary’s pizza to the party.  After a quick back and forth on some options that didn’t pan out—I took a shot in the dark. I asked her when her husband’s birthday was. See-I had a pre-planned vacation (with my fella and his daughter-Alex) in Southern California in just a few weeks. Maybe—just maybe—timing would work out.

As you might imagine—timing worked out (hence—the blog post title—Timing is Everything!).  I was driving down to So. Cal the day after his big surprise party.  It was so perfect I couldn’t believe it myself.  I coordinated with Angie to arrive around 1p or so and I would ring the doorbell with a Zachary’s shirt on and of course-2 LARGE Spinach and Mushrooms Half-Bakes.  We exchanged numbers and texted back and forth on the drive down-honestly it was the fastest drive I’ve ever had down I-5!  Alex was so excited about surprising someone that the trip was filled was questions and musings on how he would react.

A man in glasses and a blue polo shirt sits on a chair holding a fork. He smiles at the camera next to a glass table with a plate of pizza. Behind him is a wooden dresser and a large mirror reflecting part of a room.I was nervous when I rang the doorbell—surprises are nerve wracking in the best way possible! Michael answered the door-and when I said-“Hi I’m Becki from Zachary’s and someone said that you might want Zachary’s for your birthday”-he looked confused and happy! Angie came over and we explained the whole surprise. It was really great….and perfect timing again because he was hungry!  We said goodbye and after we had driven away—Alex said-“Didn’t you want to take a picture?”. Oh yeah—so I quickly texted Angie to please take a picture and pass it back to me! I wanted to keep that one in the Zachary’s memory books.

A few days later—I got a great email of thanks from Michael (and he enclosed the attached pictures!). Come to find out he has been eating Zachary’s since 1987 and even rented a car from San Jose airport just to pick up a pizza!!  Now-that’s loyalty—and that’s what we are the most proud of and thankful for at Zachary’s. Loyal customers are gold and are directly related to our long term success—BIG THANKS!

PS–Thanks again to Angie and Michael! It was a super fun.

ZACHARY’S PIZZA ART CONTEST: SPOTLIGHT ON ANIMAL LOVERS

Over the past two decades, our artists have been inspired by a wide range of topics. History? Fictional characters? Popular Culture? Pizza (duh!)? You name it. One theme that consistently shows up in the contests every year is our artists’ love of animals.

A painting of a black and white dog sitting on a pink armchair, holding a slice of pizza in its mouth. The background is green with the text: Harrys a lucky dog he gets Zacharys!.Our first example of animal-inspired art is this piece by Lisa Hayle. Hayle has been inspired by her dog Harry for years. Lisa writes, “I heard about Zachary’s Pizza through friends who also mentioned the awesome annual poster contest, which they had won in the past with an entry featuring their two adorable poodles. Soon after, I tasted the deep-dish yumminess for the first time…. I first saw Harry in 2002, while working briefly at the East Bay SPCA in Oakland. It was love at first sight.”

Illustrated poster of a dog with sunglasses and a mohawk, sitting inside a red circle. Text reads: Paws for Pizza with locations: Oakland, Berkeley, San Ramon, Pleasant Hill. Top text celebrates 4.25 dog years of pizza.

Another canine-inspired piece is “Dog Years” by artist Ian Ransley has submitted eleven winning pieces in Zachary’s art contests over the years. In addition to putting animals front and center, this piece celebrated our 30th anniversary!

A blue background with the name Zacharys in large white letters at the top. A cartoon character on a ladder reaches for a pizza slice among many red and orange pizza slices and circles hanging down.If cats are your furry friend of choice, you have something in common with artist Nikola Bachman. Bachman writes about her winning piece, “I’m a cat lover at heart therefore the kitty in the painting that I drew for Zachary’s was inspired by my own cat Jackson.”

And don’t think that creature-inspired art stops at cats and dogs! Our artists have been inspired by reptiles (Amy Neil, 2005 winner) and insects (Emma Ruth 2012) too!Cartoon of an elderly man with a white beard, wearing a blue coat labeled Darwin, pointing up. A large turtle with a red, spiral-patterned shell stands beside him. A speech bubble says, Zacharys Pizza Highly Evolved!.A colorful painting of a butterfly with yellow and red wings. Above it is a sun with Zacharys written inside. Below, flowers in red, white, and blue, a bee hovering, and a brown rabbit are set against a blue sky background.

Animals make their way into the art in big and small ways. We will leave you with several more animal-inspired pieces. The deadline for submissions this year is May 16! Pick up your paper canvas at any Zachary’s location today!

A drawing of a bear sitting by a tree, holding a pizza box labeled Zacharys Chicago Pizza Inc. The bear has a happy expression, surrounded by colorful flowers. Text reads Hmmm Beary Yummy with small hearts.A black and white dog with a collar labeled Bella sits on green grass. A hand offers a slice of pizza, with the words Will Do Tricks For Zacharys above. Red streaks suggest the pizzas enticing aroma.

A painting of a girl in a red dress eating pizza, surrounded by three cats, who are looking at the pizza. The text reads Pizza de la Zacharys Délicieux and Mackenzie. The image has a playful, vintage style.

Cartoon pandas surrounding a large pizza with mushrooms and pepperoni, with the text Zacharys Chicago Pizza Inc. above in a handwritten style. A panda is reaching for a slice with a long cheese pull.

ZACHARY’S NOMINATED FOR OAKLAND INDIE AWARD

Promotional graphic announcing a nomination for the 9th Annual Oakland Indie Awards. Text reads: Weve been nominated! Find out if we win at the Indie Awards Party on May 29! www.OaklandIndieAwards.com.We’ve been nominated for an Oakland Indie Award in the Job Creator category! We are very excited and honored to be nominated!

Find out whether Zachary’s (and some of your other favorite local businesses!) wins at the Oakland Indie Awards Party on May 29th in Jack London Square. Check out their website for more information: Oakland Indie Awards

ZACHARY’S PIZZA ART: BAY AREA INSPIRATION

The Zachary’s Pizza Art Contest is happening right now!

See our online art gallery for more details!

We are very lucky to be situated in the ever-changing and consistently beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. Over the years, the winners of the Zachary’s Pizza Art Contest have been inspired by beautiful and celebrated Bay Area landmarks.

EAST BAYA hand-drawn image features a crooked clock tower labeled Zacharys Chicago Pizza, with a bent spire against a blue sky. A speech bubble says, You know what time it is… A small tree appears in the bottom left.:A stylized logo featuring yellow text Zacharys Pizza in a circular red and black design. Inside the circle is a yellow pizza slice on a black background. Text below reads Since 1983.

OUR ICONIC BRIDGES:

Artistic mural of a woman in a flowing gown holding a pizza against a starry night backdrop. The text reads Zacharys Pizza in red, with a golden crown on her head and a bridge silhouette below.

Illustration of a red bridge and hills on a blue sky background. A bold red circle surrounds Zacharys Chicago Pizza in the center, with the phrase I left my heart at written above in cursive.A colorful painting features the Golden Gate Bridge under a swirling starry sky, resembling Van Goghs style. UFOs with aliens hover above. Red orbs float on water, and a cactus with writing is in the foreground.A vibrant painting features a sunset over a city skyline, with a large pizza between two golden bridge towers. The text reads, The Sun Never Sets Without the Best in the Bay and Zacharys Pizza. The scene reflects onto calm water.

SAN FRANCISCO SKYLINE:

Poster for Zacharys: The Rise of the Dough! features a pizza slice above a city skyline with text: Wind-Altering!, Mouth-Watering!, Conquering the World! A person holds a Zacharys pizza box at the bottom.Stylized cityscape merging San Francisco icons, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Transamerica Pyramid, with Zacharys in bold text over a red circular design and 30 Years beneath it.

BEYOND THE BAY:

A stylized poster features a depiction of Half Dome in shades of gray and black, with a red sun in the sky. Below the image, text reads Zacharys Pizza and Half Dome.

We love original pieces that showcase the hundreds of awe-inspiring scenes of the Bay Area (and beyond!). Visit any of our four East Bay locations to get a paper canvas and get started on your winning pizza art today! The deadline for this contest is Saturday, May 16th!

ZACHARY’S PIZZA ART CONTEST: OUR HISTORY

Illustration of a man in a loincloth kneeling on one knee, holding a large circle above his head. The circle contains the text Zacharys Chicago Pizza. The background is divided into solid orange and red sections.Since the 1980s, Zachary’s has proudly hosted a pizza art contest. The winning entries decorate the walls of the restaurants in Oakland, Berkeley, San Ramon and Pleasant Hill.

The initial idea to host an art contest came from Zachary’s founder, Barbara Gabel. Shortly after Barbara, and co-founder Zach Zachowski, opened the Solano Avenue Zachary’s in 1984, Barbara considered ways to “create a fun ambiance” and “honor local artists” all while changing the art periodically. Thus, the Zachary’s Pizza Art Contest was born!

According to Barbara, “I wanted local artisans Illustration of a smiling person holding a large pizza, with Eureka! Its Zacharys! written in bold letters. The background is a vibrant blend of blue and yellow, creating an energetic and joyful atmosphere.to have a place to show their talent and to have it reflect our company. I also knew that in order for customers to truly see and appreciate the art it had to be huge so I chose to require all entries to be 3′ x 4′.”

As everyone can see as soon as they enter Zachary’s, many local artists have contributed lots of amazing pieces. According to Barbara, “I am always humbled by the time and talent the artists devote to each piece. It’s a reflection of how much they respect Zachary’s.” Please visit our online art gallery to see some examples!

Colorful painting with dogs and cats surrounding a large pizza. Text reads Share the Love at Zacharys in vibrant letters on a rainbow background, with a peace symbol as the O in Love.The pizza art contest creates an excited buzz around Zachary’s. Customers routinely share their ideas for a winning piece. The Zachary’s crew members try to sneak a peak of each submission that comes through the doors. Little ones, who have been working so hard on their entries, eagerly hand in their artwork and proudly share their creations with the crew. It’s a special time at Zachary’s.

“A final thing I want to mention is how attached we are to each piece (especially when one of us has the opportunity to meet the artist face-to-face)… There is such a wealth of talent in our area… We deeply appreciate the artists, all of whom are our beloved customers,” writes Barbara. “I never come into the restaurants without scanning the art and smiling at the joy behind it.”A vibrant collage-style artwork of a pizza with red and white toppings, surrounded by green background. The text Zacharys Chicago Pizza curves around the pizza. The design is made of small colored paper pieces.

FUNDRAISING WITH ZACHARY’S!

A cartoon elephant holding a swirling red spiral with the text Zacharys Dont Forget! The background is a blend of green and blue shades.Are your students in a club they love? Are you a part of a local non-profit or community organization? Are you an individual looking to finance a worthwhile cause? Get your friends to eat at Zachary’s and we will donate a percentage of our sales to your school or organization!

Illustration of two abstract, bear-like figures in green, each holding a slice of pizza against a yellow background. Red geometric spheres float above them. The words Zacharys! Pizza! are written in red.

We would love to support your cause with a full day of fundraising at one of our four locations (Oakland, Berkeley, San Ramon or Pleasant Hill). We’ve hosted many preschools, middle schools and high schools in the past couple of years. Fundraiser nights are a fun community event as well as an easy way to raise a few extra dollars.

A colorful mural featuring a pizza and the text I Like to Teach the World to Eat Zacharys with silhouettes of people around the pizza. Created by Marina Ling, 4 years old. The background is a blend of blues and greens.

Raising money is as easy as eating a spinach and mushroom pizza. To apply or for more information about fundraising at Zachary’s click here!

We are an employee-owned company and represent a diverse group of owners (and customers!). Therefore, we do not align ourselves with political organizations or positions. Thank you for your understanding and support.
 

ZACHARY’S PIZZA ART CONTEST: CELEBRATING THE KID ARTISTS

The Zachary’s Pizza Art Contest is ON!

Submissions are due May 16, 2015. For details, click here.

We love Zachary’s Pizza Art from all ages: the young to the young at heart. We’ve adorned our walls with art from winners at age 4 to age 89! Some of our favorite pieces have been created by some very talented kids, kid-buddy collaborations and family collaborations. Here are a few previous Zachary’s Pizza Art Contest Winners:

Colorful poster featuring the words Zacharys Deep Dish in bold red and purple. The background displays numerous multicolored handprints and a painted pizza topped with yellow, red, and green spots. Names are written near some handprints. A child-like drawing of an ostrich eating pizza. The text reads, Why would an ostrich eat a pizza? and He wouldnt, unless it was Zachary. The background is blue and textured, with rough pencil and crayon details. A handwritten note on lined paper with red borders reads: Dear Zachary, My heart beats for your Chicago style pizza. I wish I could be with you every day. Would you like to go out with me? with checkboxes for yes and no. It ends with love, Maia. Cartoon of a character with horns and a sword labeled Zachary standing by a pizza and a green dragon breathing fire. A castle in the background. Text reads: Sir Zachary conquers the Pizza Dragon. A whimsical painting of a person with colorful hair holding a pizza, facing a red creature with antlers. The scene is vibrant with bold colors and the text Zacharys Chicago pizza appears in the top right corner. A green dinosaur holding a slice of pizza with the text eat for your life across its body. Below, a small cart labeled Zacharys Pizza with a person inside. The dinosaur appears to be smiling. A child with blond hair eats pizza at a table. Two pizzas are in front of them, one with a slice missing. The wall is purple with a window showing a cat and children. Text reads, M-m-m, Zacharys Pizza is just right!!. Colorful painting of a band performing on stage with drums, guitar, and keyboard. Zachary’s Rocks! is written at the top. A diverse audience is watching. The background is bright pink and the band members are creatively dressed. A drawing of a smiling leprechaun holding a pepperoni pizza under a vibrant rainbow. The text reads, Lucky to have Zacharys delicious pizza! The leprechaun wears a green hat with a shamrock, a green jacket, and brown shoes. Colorful childrens painting featuring a large yellow and red butterfly, a sun with rays labeled ZACHARYS, and a whimsical garden scene with flowers, a bee, and a brown rabbit on a blue background.

A large green dinosaur holding a stack of pizza boxes labeled Zacharys Pizza says, You look tasty, but not as tasty as Zacharys Chicago Pizza! A small purple dinosaur next to the stack says, Oh no! and help. Childlike painting showing two smiling children riding dolphins in the ocean. A large pizza in the sky resembles a sun. Text below dolphins reads Zacharys Chicago Pizza, Inc. with Elena Age 9 in the corner. Bright and colorful design. Childlike drawing of three colorful, abstract robots with rectangular and circular heads, waving. Text reads Zacharys Robot Pizza Party. The bold use of reds, blues, greens, and yellows gives a playful, lively feel. Colorful drawing with a skateboarder eating pizza, a mermaid holding pizza underwater, and an eagle flying with a pizza slice. Text reads: Zacharys Chicago Pizza - Loved by All! Bright sky and green scenery in the background.

ZACHARY’S PIZZA ART CONTEST STARTS TODAY!

Colorful artwork of a person in bed, dreaming of a large pepperoni pizza. Text reads Dreaming of Zacharys Pizza. The room is filled with stars, a dresser with fruit, and a window showing a crescent moon.Did you ever wonder how the walls of Zachary’s became home to so many fun, pizza-inspired pieces of art? All of the art at each of our four locations is a winner from one of our past art contests!

Now is your chance to contribute your original Zachary’s Pizza Art!

The deadline for this year’s art contest is Saturday, May 16th, 2015. Each Zachary’s location will have paper canvas and entry forms. You must submit your artwork on the paper canvas provided and we cannot accept any artwork without the entry form. It is very important that you read all of the rules carefully before beginning work on your art.

Deep-dish pizza with thick crust topped with swirls of red tomato sauce and green pesto. Behind it are glass shakers with oregano, grated cheese, and red pepper flakes, on a wooden table.In the past, Zachary’s artists have used a myriad of sources for inspiration. Please visit our online art gallery to see some of the past winners. Of course, the best source of inspiration is probably eating some of your favorite pizza while surrounded by lots of amazing pizza art!

 

LIMITED TIME: ROASTED PEPPER SPECIAL

A slice of deep-dish pizza being lifted from the pan, topped with chunky tomato sauce, melted cheese, and assorted vegetables. In the background, there are shakers with red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese.Back by popular demand, the Zachary’s Roasted Pepper Special is now available at all four Zachary’s locations! This pizza has red, green and yellow bell peppers, pasillas, Anaheim chiles, and onion. It comes with jack and cheddar cheese. It’s available Stuffed or Thin!

 

 

This is a customer and crew favorite! Try it just like it comes or add some pepperoni for a meatier version.

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