On Thursday 12/13/18 all Zachary’s Chicago Pizza locations donated 15% of our dine-in and take-out sales to the North Valley Community Foundation in Chico California.

Together we were able to raise and donate over $6,000 to the relief efforts!

A big thank you to our employee owners for spreading the word and the collective effort involved to make this day a success.

Most importantly a HUGE thank you to those in our communities that came in and supported the effort!

Zachary’s will be closed on the following days:

December 24, 2018

December 25, 2018

January 1, 2019

Our hours will be adjusted on December 31, 2018 to let our employees bring in the New Year with family and friends.  Our hours will be:

11am-8:30pm for Dine In

11am-9pm for Take Out

We would love to be part of your celebrations and recommend picking up a half baked pizza the day before we are closed!

Have a safe and festive holiday season!

The final numbers are in… and we raised $6,000 for our local food banks from the first ever Zachary’s art sale!

Huge thank you to everyone that made this possible!  A lot of hard work went on behind the scenes to make the entire process seamless and our art team and employee owners knocked it out of the park.

Most importantly– thank you to the countless artists throughout the years that make every Zachary’s art contest a resounding success and thank you to everyone who purchased a piece of Zachary’s history and helped our local food banks!

We had a blast celebrating the end of summer at an Oakland A’s game! Huge thanks to Community Outreach Coordinator’s Robin Smith and Sammi DeShane for organizing an awesome time!

We had an absolutely AMAZING 35th Anniversary celebration on July 25th! And, lucky for you, our celebration continues!

Here are some of the highlights:

• We created a collection of unique enamel pins that celebrate art, pizza, and local love. Each of our four restaurants (Oakland, Berkeley, San Ramon and Pleasant Hill) has its own exclusive design, so if you want the whole collection you’ll need to visit each location.
• We created a limited edition, 35th Anniversary t-shirt available for sale at all of our restaurants and online! Supplies are limited, so grab one soon!
• For the first time in Zachary’s history, we are selling select pieces of our beloved, custom-made art! All of the proceeds (100%!!!!!) from the art sale will go to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. The Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano are committed to fighting hunger and raising awareness around food and poverty. Among other challenges, the housing the crisis in the Bay Area has left many people and families without the means to feed themselves healthfully and adequately. Please unite with us as we step up and chip in! More info here!
• Faction Brewery created a fantastically delicious 35th Anniversary brew just for us! The Get Stuffed IPA is available at all of our location and in the Faction taproom for a limited time only. More info here!

You might have noticed… our walls are loaded with fan art! We love hosting our biannual pizza art contest; it’s a perfect opportunity to connect with our communities and get pizza-spired. We recently received some attention in another medium: FAN WRITING! We LOVED this piece and we thought that our pizza-loving community might enjoy it too!

Hello,

I’ve been a huge Zachary’s fan for almost as long as you’ve been around. Each morning I do a writing exercise based on a prompt provided by “Creative Caffeine Daily.” I never know what will come up in my writing, but when I finished this morning’s I knew I had to share it with you in honor of your anniversary tomorrow…. So here goes:

Today’s prompt: Salivating

Salivating…

You could almost see them salivating as the pizza made its way to the table. It was a deep dish with a thick band of golden crust wrapped around what they knew would be a hot delicious combination of cheese and vegetables and spicy tomato sauce. They had driven 3 hours for this particular pizza at this particular place. Who drives 3 hours for a pizza? As the waitress lifted the first slice out, strings of mozzarella stretched from the pie to the slice. She slid the slice onto a small plate and expertly severed the elastic cheese with the side of the spatula. With five slices served, she was off to another table. They all looked at each other with lusty smiles and opened mouths as steam still rose from each slice. Someone picked up a knife and fork and cut off a bite-sized piece. He stabbed the piece with the fork and blew on it to cool it more. They all knew if they tried to eat any too soon they would burn the roofs of their mouths and ruin the whole experience, so they waited impatiently, salivating all the more. Finally, he tried the forked bite, his friends watching for signs of trouble. Seeing only enjoyment, they all charged into their own slices. 
“Mmmm, so GOOD!,” one said. 
“So worth the trip,” said another. 
“We need to take one home!” said a third. 
They all nodded in silence as they continued to celebrate in the communion of Zachary’s.

Happy Anniversary!

Janet Allen
Berkeley (fan & frequenter of both College and Solano stores…)

Thanks to everyone for coming out for the first half our of patio music series in Pleasant Hill!  We still have five more nights of music, pizza, and good vibes lined up for August.  Reservations are encouraged and on a first come first served basis, give us a call to secure your spot! (925) 602-7000.

Frankie G is up next on Wednesday 8/1!

8/8 – DAN DESHARA

8/15 – GARAGELAND RODEO TRIO

822 – KYLE JESTER

8/29 – THE BELL BROTHERS

As part of Zachary’s 35^th Anniversary Celebration, we’ve created a collection of unique enamel pins that celebrate art, pizza, and local love. Each of our four restaurants (Oakland, Berkeley, San Ramon and Pleasant Hill) has its own exclusive design, so if you want the whole collection you’ll need to visit each location.

If you spend $35 or more on our 35^th anniversary (Wednesday, July 25^th) you will receive one free pin. Additional pins can be purchased at $4 each, and proceeds will benefit the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Pins will be available after July 25^th while supplies last.

Additionally (there is more! can you believe it?!), we’ve created a limited edition, 35th Anniversary t-shirt available for sale at all of our restaurants and online! Supplies are limited, so grab one soon!

Stay tuned for more exciting 35th Anniversary details including special 1983 pricing on our ready-to-go half baked Spinach and Mushroom pizzas!

Make it a summer of Zachary’s – collect all four pins and a 35th Anniversary t-shirt!

 

 

 

 

 

In celebration of our 35th Anniversary, the delightful East Bay brew masters at Faction Brewery crafted a special IPA just for us!! **Swoon**

A few months ago, we started brainstorming about various things we could do to celebrate our 35th Anniversary (July 25th, 2018!). We are incredibly proud to be part of such loyal, supportive, and totally inspirational communities in Oakland, Berkeley, San Ramon and Pleasant Hill. Doing some sort of collaboration with another, local company seemed perfect. So, we racked our brains on how we could make this happen and inspiration hit… beer! What better way to celebrate than with some hoppy, sudsy deliciousness!

We are huge fans of Faction (we carry their Pale Ale at our Oakland location on College Avenue) and we were just thrilled when they agreed to create the “Get Stuffed IPA”! We even got to sample a variety of Faction beers and give them some input about what hops we liked best (rough day at work!). Like Zachary’s, Faction values its community ties and it prioritizes giving back to its communities. We are honored that they wanted to brew for us!

The “Get Stuffed IPA” is now being served at all of our locations and in the Faction tap room! It will be around for the next few months only, so check it out soon!

Since 1983, Zachary’s has been making award-winning pizza in the San Francisco Bay Area. When Zachary’s founders, Zach Zachowski and Barbara Gabel, decided to retire, they sold the company to the employees via an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). In 2010, Zachary’s became 100% employee owned.

Our employee owners are the mojo behind the madness. They make each of our restaurants unique, fun, and delicious. This month, we are turning our attention to Antonio and Adanely Beltran, a father/daughter duo who both work at our San Ramon location!

Interview**

**Antonio and Adanely were interviewed on March, 12th 2018 by Zachary’s Project Manager, Christina Souza. All photos are take by Zachary’s Regional Manager, Kate Erickson

Christina (C): What are your hire dates?

Antonio (AN): September 27^th, 2006

Adanely (AD): For me, I don’t know the exact date, but I think it was June 2015.

C: Okay, so you (Antonio) had already been here for nine and a half years before Adanely started?

AN: [Shakes head yes]

C: What’s your favorite pizza?

AN: Hawaiian with bacon and jalapenos, thin crust

C: [To Adanely] You?

AD: Whatever he makes! [Looks at Antonio, Laughs]

C: Do you make Adanely special pizzas?

AN: Yes, sometimes… Chicken, ranch, cheese, tomatoes, onions

C: Sounds delicious.

AN: Oh yes.

AD: And he adds some spices that he brings from home.

C: Oh! What are the spices? Or, is it your secret recipe?

AN: Yes, secret recipe.

[Laughter]

AN: I just do chicken, mixed cheese (Monterey Jack and cheddar), tomatoes on top, and green onions

AD: Red onions!

AN: Red onions, and ranch… [Makes motion of swirling the ranch on top of the pizza]

C: Sound good. And where are you both living right now? What city?

AD and AN: Tracy

C: Do you live together?

AD: Yeah

C: Great. [To Antonio] How did you discover Zachary’s?

AN: My friend. We were working together in another job and he told me. He told me they needed a lot of people. You know when this (San Ramon) opened, we needed a lot of people. I talked to Kevin (Kevin Suto is Zachary’s President and CFO). He gave me the job.

C: He interviewed you? Do you remember what he asked you?

AN: Oh my gosh… He asked me, “Where do you work?” “Do you work in a restaurant?” He asked me, “Have you made pizzas?” I said, “Never!” He said, “Do you know the (ingredients) pepperoni, pineapple, cheese, and salami?” He said, “It’s okay. You got the job!” And I started. On the same day.

C: You started on the same day that he interviewed you?

AN: Yes! There were too many people!

C: Oh, that’s right. It was crazy when San Ramon opened.

AN: Yeah… crazy. There were too many people! Crazy… Almost twelve years ago…

C: Did you start right when we opened?

AN: Two weeks after.

C: What was it like?

AN: [Makes huge eyes]  Very hard! Crazy! You know, I had never made pizzas. This was my first time, so it was very hard for me. The pan pizzas… my hands hurt. Oh my God… it was painful. Too many nights… In the night time, for a month, I had a lot of pain. [Motions to his hands aching].

C: Now your hands are probably really strong.

AN: Yeah! Look at that! [Motions to his arms]

AD: Look at his arm muscles right here! [Points to Antonio’s forearm]

C: That’s pretty cool! Why did you think that this would be a good job for Adanely?

AN: Because of professionalism, the environment, there was no bullying. And there was a lot of respect between people. Especially compared to other places, it’s very respectful among coworkers. Also because we were going to be working together. I had been working a lot of years for a long time and I was away from home. I liked the fact that we were going to be together, working.

C: What is working together like?

AD: It’s fun. Uh, he helped me a lot when I first started. He told me what to do and guided me on the right track. We get to spend our breaks together sometimes, so he makes me food. Like he said, we didn’t get to spend a lot of time with him when he was working both of his jobs. Here and his other other job. So, we were spending more time together.

C: Do you have other siblings?

AD: Yes

C: How many?

AD: I have a younger sister. Right now she’s 16. And then I have a brother who is 19.

C: [To Antonio] Would you want to work with them too?

AN: Are you kidding? Yeah, why not? Yeah, she (the younger sister) started another job as a busser. Two days, Saturday and Sunday…

AN: I would like her to work here. I would like it. I want to say thank you. I am very thankful for the opportunity that Zachary’s gave us. We are growing and learning every day. I am thankful for our future. And you are giving her [Glances at Adanely] an opportunity to grow.

C: Is there anything that is challenging about working together?

AN: Ah no. We are in different positions so we if we do something wrong, we have to take responsibility for it.

AD: Yes, like he takes his responsibility, I take mine. We’ve never had a moment.

C: It seems really cool to spend a lot of time together, but then if there were any conflict or drama outside of work, I can imagine, for me, that would carry over.

AD: Yeah, but we don’t. We don’t.

C: Do you talk about work when you are at home?

AN: Sometimes.

AD: Not really.

AN: We try not to.

C: You keep it separate?

AD: Yeah.

C: (To Antonio) What is your favorite thing about working at Zachary’s and/or working with Adanely?

AN: Everything for me. I like everything. That’s why I’ve been here for so many years. A lot of places have people for only two or three years and then they move on.  There are a lot of things… the managers, the people, it’s very different (than other restaurants). And the money! [Laughter]

C: You gotta make the money!

AN: Yeah, I know! [Laughter]

C: [To Adanely] What’s your favorite thing about working here?

AD: It’s very team oriented. So, if you are having trouble with something, especially serving, there is someone right there to help you all the time. We try to make it as least stressful as possible. Helping your coworkers out too… You help them and they help you. Um… everybody gets along. The managers are pretty cool. [Laughter] I talk to everybody, even in the kitchen. It’s just very friendly.

C: Do you all cook at home together?

AD: He cooks. [Laughter]

C: Do you (Antonio) do most of the cooking?

AN: [Shakes head] Yeah, yeah

C: What are your favorite things to make?

AD: He cooks everything!

AN: Yeah, everything… pasta… Well, I don’t make pizzas! [Laughter] Pasta and steaks, chicken… oh my God.

AD: I think steaks is what he makes the most.

C: [To Adanely] What is your favorite thing that he makes? Other than that pizza?

AN: Steaks, shrimp, your vegetables, mashed potatoes…

AD: Yeah, that’s my favorite thing.

AN: Oh yes.

AD: Everything that he makes is so good. It’s delicious.

AN: Pastas…

AD: We always have friends over and they are like, “Oh yum.”

C: Your house is a gathering space for people?

AD: Oh yeah.

C: Because you are producing all of that delicious food!

AN: In my morning job, you just have to learn everything in a week or two. They just throw you in there and you have to figure it out and deal with it. You have to do what you can. You have customers in front of you and you just have to figure it out. But here there is a process. You have two or three months and then you have to know.

C: What do you all do for fun outside of Zachary’s?

AN: For fun? [Laughter] When we take vacations, we try to go places. To Magic Mountain and Las Vegas! But the days that we have off, we have dinner at home and try to get together. We always try to eat together.

C: With your whole family?

AD and AN: Yeah…

C: If you could have your ideal work situation, would you keep working together? Do you see yourselves not working together in the future? If you could dream it, what would it be?

AN: We don’t know because Adanely is in school.

AD: Yeah, I’m in school and I have a career in mind, so we don’t know. But it would be nice to work together all the time.

C: Really?

AD: Yeah. We just have a good time together. We never argue. But, he’s going to stay here until who knows… but I’m going to school, so I don’t know what the future is.

C: What are you going to school for?

AD: For nursing.

C: What kind of nursing do you want to do?

AD: Labor and delivery

C: Fun. [To Antonio] So you are not interested in nursing?

[Laughter]

C: Great. I think that’s all of my questions. Do you want to say anything else about working together? Or working at Zachary’s?

AN: I am very thankful because these past eight years, we were in a very difficult situation together. But this job keeps us together.

C: I think it’s really unique and special that you want to work together and that you are able to make it work with your schedules and all of the other stuff going on in your lives. It’s really special that you can enjoy the time that you have working together. It’s really sweet.

AN: Thank you, thank you. And many thanks to Kevin and Leandra (Leandra is Zachary’s Vice President and General Manager).

C: What was Kevin like in 2006?

AN: Kevin?

C: Was he different?

AN: No, he was the same. He is always a friendly person. He always says hi. A lot of people get nervous around him, but I think he is a friendly guy. I think because we are the same age, it’s a different type of vibe.

C: You can relate to each other.

AD: Yeah

AN: And I’m thankful that he gave me this job.

C: Do you have any pictures of yourselves when you were younger cooking together?

AD: Cooking? Uh…

AN: [Laughs] Cooking? Uhhh

AD: My mom took pictures of him cooking… but not us together. I don’t know. I’ll see.  She’s gonna be like… she never cooks.

C: [To Adanely] You never cook?

AD: No, he always cooks. Laughs.

AN: [Laughs]

C: What do you do when he is not there?

AD: I’m always working. We’re always working. Or my Mom cooks. I never cook.

AN: [Laughs]

C: What are you going to do if you’re living along?

AD: I’ll just take him with me.

C: Awww, that’s pretty sweet that she wants to take you with her wherever she goes.

AN: When she gets married, she will learn. [Laughs]