February was a big month for employee-owner anniversaries! We celebrated two milestones!

Employee-owner Pancho started with Zachary’s all the way back in 1990. Yes, that means Pancho is celebrating 30 YEARS with Zachary’s! ♥ Pancho is one of our foundation kitchen employees, helping train and develop our new employees at our Oakland and Berkeley locations. We were a young company (only 7 years old!), when he was hired. Pancho has been with us through many growing and transitional phases, including the opening of three new locations, and most excitingly, our transition to being an employee-owned company! Congrats on 30 years Pancho! ????

Arturo was hired in 2005 for our Oakland and Berkeley locations.  His hard work and team oriented attitude quickly established him as a standout employee. 15 years later, Arturo is still that same hard working and team oriented employee- with a great attitude and quick smile to boot! ????

Thank you to both Pancho and Arturo! We wouldn’t be the amazing, employee-owned company we are without phenomenal owners like them on our team!

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Who else is excited for the Academy Awards this Sunday?? The celebs, the outfits, the red carpet interviews! All that excitement is going to work up quite the appetite 😉 If you’re trying to take home the award for ‘Best Party Planner’, order half baked pizzas to finish off at home for an easy (and delicious) Oscar watch party! Looking to get an extra nod from the Academy? Place your orders in advance for an early pickup Sunday and avoid the crowd!

Wondering what all the fuss is about with our half bakes? Try one for yourself! Super easy and convenient, half baked pizzas are a great option if you are planning a party and want hot and fresh pizzas! When you place a half bake order with us we will partially cook your made-to-order pizzas (stuffed, thin crust and gluten free can all be half baked!). Our half baked pizzas can last 3-4 days in your refrigerator.  Hence, why we recommend picking them up on Friday or Saturday to avoid the rush on Sunday- and to remove one less task from an already busy day of party planning. When you are ready to cook your pizzas, remove them from the refrigerator and let them get to room temperature.  We recommend pulling your stuffed pizzas out about 45 minutes before you want to cook them. Preheat your over to 450 degrees. Place pizzas on a greased cookie sheet. Cook stuffed pizzas 15-20 minutes and thin crust pizzas 10-15 minutes. Voila! Freshly made pizza in the convenience of your own home! Half bakes are also great for parties since you can cook as you go and have a steady supply of fresh pizza ready for the excitement of the next winner to be announced! If that’s not deserving of an Oscar, we don’t know what is.

There is a pretty big football game happening Sunday, in case you hadn’t heard 😉  And the only thing better than a local team being in the Super Bowl, is a pizza party to root them on with! Sunday will be a busy day for us. Beat the crowds and order your half bake pizzas in advance for pick up Friday and Saturday to finish off at home on Super Bowl Sunday! If you do need to pick up on Sunday, our Rockridge, Grand Lake and North Berkeley locations will all be opening early at 10:30am. Prove yourself the real MVP by getting in early and avoiding the lines!

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 handed the company over 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.  You may recognize our latest spotlight as one of our Oaklandish t-shirt models, but usually Edwin Jimenez’s friendly smile can be found in the kitchens of San Ramon. After almost a decade with Zachary’s, Edwin has recently been promoted to kitchen supervisor, a position that reflects his dedication to great pizza and the amazing people that make Zachary’s—and the Bay—home.

Spotlight

Name: Edwin Jimenez

Hire Date: September 2010

Fave Pizza: Spinach and Mushroom

Fave Food: Pupusas and Tacos!

Current Location: Hayward

Home Restaurant: San Ramon

Zachary’s Claim to Fame: Edwin is known for his stellar reliability and sense of teamwork. He understands our success is based on the team, not the individual. He is a true team player in this regard, helping guide and direct our crew to be the best they can. His deep respect for his coworkers and the pride he takes in making perfect pizzas, make Edwin an all around employee-owner superstar!

Interview*

*Edwin was interviewed by Zachary’s Marketing Manager, Robin Smith

Robin (R): What attracted you to Zachary’s Pizza or made you choose to work here?

Edwin (E): To be honest, before Zachary’s I started working at another [pizza] restaurant because I love pizza and I had the chance to work over there.  But then Alvaro (a fellow San Ramon kitchen employee-owner) talked to me about [Zachary’s] and the opportunity, I didn’t think twice. I came for the pizza but I stayed because I really liked the environment and the people. That’s why I stay. I came for pizza. [Both laugh]

R: The draw was the pizza

E: Yes.

R: What is one of your favorite aspects about working at Zachary’s?

E: It’s funny that you mention it, but I like the reaction of people when I say, “I work at Zachary’s.” A lot of people [say], “oh, really?” That’s very genuine that people react in a really good way that I work at Zachary’s because they’ve heard a lot of good things about the restaurant- the food, the pizza is awesome. So I like that reaction.

R: They’re excited.

E: Yeah, excited. And the funny thing is they start talking about experiences that they’ve had or things that they’ve heard about this place or the pizza or about all the awards, you know, and that’s good, that’s amazing. I like that.

R: It makes you feel good.

E: It makes you feel proud.

R: So spinning on that feeling of pride, what does being an Employee Owner mean to you?

E: It makes me feel more engaged with my job. It’s more responsibility because I’m not just working for someone. I’m working for this place that cares about me…everything I do I have to do with quality and excellence because they do care a lot about me and I care about this restaurant too.

R: Besides being an employee owned company, what are some of the things that make you feel that engagement and keeps you motivated to accept a supervisor position, like you recently did?

E: The reason why is because I felt like, for so many years, I received a lot from this restaurant and this company and I feel like it was time for me to give something back.  To step up and do a little more than what I was doing, like taking another level…Like saying, thank you so much for everything you have done for me…I am going to do something for you guys. I’m going to do my best, help the new guys, if something needs to be fixed, let’s do it, I’m going to help, I’m going to do more.

R: What’s something you love about living in the Bay Area?

E: To be honest I always talk about that with people that come and visit the area and the first thing they say is that they love the area. That they’ve been in…different places around the world, some of my friends that have come to visit and they’ve said this is the best place to live. And to be honest, I love a lot of things about this area. First of all, I love the weather. The weather is perfect. And the fact that you can go to the city, the mountains, to the snow, everything you want to do, everywhere you want to go, it’s a plus. The location is perfect. The weather is perfect. And then the third thing that I love about this area is the people. To be honest the people. They make me feel like I’m welcome here. I feel like I’ve never been treated in a bad way, or seen in a bad way, and I really like that. I really appreciate the people make me feel like I’m welcome here.

R: Absolutely. That’s important. You need to feel welcome where you live. When people come and visit, what are some of the things that you show off to them?

E: The lifestyle here, it’s pretty good. You can go either shopping or you can go visiting museums. The Academy of Sciences in San Francisco is really good. The views. The views are amazing. Places like the Golden Gate, Santa Cruz, things like that. The view that you get when you drive on the Highway 1.  All those things make this place very special and I like to show that to the people that come and visit. What else?  The food. There’s a lot of good places you can go and dine in and have a good time.

R: Speaking of food, what’s your favorite Zachary’s pizza?

E: I gotta say, the OG, it has to be the Spinach and Mushroom. Yeah, that’s the best.

R: I mean, you can’t go wrong…

E: Yes, that is the best one.

R: I agree.

E: And I like how spinach and mushroom complement each other. They create another, totally different flavor. Yes, so that’s my favorite.

R: Hand’s down. [Laughs] Do you have anything else you’d like to talk about or add about your experience at Zachary’s? Besides being the model for the Zachary’s t-shirt? [Both laugh]

E:  The only thing that I would say is that I learn so many things here. I learn that this place…gives me the chance to grow up. Not just as an employee, but as a person. And I have the chance to meet a lot of beautiful people here and I’m happy with that. And I’m thankful because I feel like this place attracts a lot of beautiful people and they help me in different ways…some with their friendship, some with advice, but all to be the person I am.  I really enjoy it because, to be honest, I’ve been spending a lot of time here. It’s going to be almost a decade now, and I’m thankful because it’s not everywhere you have a chance to meet people…It’s good. I’m happy with that and I’m thankful for that.

Employee-owner Nathan is celebrating 20 years with Zachary’s today!! Regulars may well recognize Nate from the art work he’s been drawing on their togo boxes at the Oakland and Berkeley restaurants the past two decades.  A talented artist, Nate also submitted an art piece for last year’s Zachary’s Art Contest, which you can see hanging in our dining room at our College Avenue location! Thank you Nate for your creativity and dedication to our employee-owned company all these years!

Back in action at our San Ramon and Pleasant Hill locations, (and just in time for the Super Bowl!) is the Buffalo Chicken Special! This special is a tasty blend of free range chicken breast in cayenne pepper “wing sauce,” pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, topped with a swirl of house-made blue cheese dressing. It’s spicy, it’s savory and it’s a perfect football pizza! Available stuffed or thin for a limited time.

Speaking of football- our San Ramon location will be showing the Super Bowl on our three large, HD TVs! Come root the 49ers on and enjoy our new pizza special and a pitcher of beer at the same time!

We are excited to announce our recently opened Grand Avenue location will be participating in this year’s Oakland Restaurant Week from January 9th – 20th! Cue the trumpets!!

This is our first year participating in restaurant week and we are excited to showcase our new location and everything it has to offer.  Please join us for lunch or dinner and enjoy delicious, award winning Chicago-Style stuffed and thin crust pizza, flavorful appetizers, and custom-crafted cocktails in our beautiful new location in the Grand Lake neighborhood of Oakland! Don’t forget to snap a pic and tag us with #zacharysORW when you visit!

Our flagship location on College Avenue will not be participating, only our Grand Avenue location.

Please keep in mind we do not accept reservations, seating is first come, first served. Have further questions? We’re happy to answer them, just give us a call or email hello@zacharys.com!

Oakland Restaurant Week Menu/Specials for Zachary’s on Grand Avenue

3917 Grand Ave, Oakland, 94610

(510) 658-3226

Pricing does not include tax or gratuities.  No substitutions or modifications.  

Drink Specials-

• Choose two cocktails for $10  Cocktail options are: Paloma, Cinnamon Old Fashioned, Grand Lake Mule and Tilden Tea Time.
  • 2 for $10 deal only valid on these four cocktails.
• Choose any two 16oz pints for $10 (see our Adult Beverage menu in the restaurant for options)

Lunch Special (Monday – Friday, 11am- 4pm only)

• Personal Stuffed or Thin Crust Zachary’s Favorite Pizza + Lunch Caesar Salad $10

Prix Fixe Meals

• Small Stuffed OR Medium Thin Zachary’s Favorite Pizza + Entrée Salad $30
• Small Stuffed OR Medium Thin Zachary’s Favorite Pizza + Entrée Salad + Zachary’s Meatballs $40
• Large Stuffed OR Extra-Large Thin Zachary’s Favorite Pizza + Entrée Salad $40
• Large Stuffed OR Extra-Large Thin Zachary’s Favorite Pizza + Entrée Salad + Zachary’s Meatballs $50
• Large Stuffed OR Extra-Large Thin Zachary’s Favorite Pizza + Entrée Salad + Small Thin Cheese/1 Topping Pizza $50

Two Pizza Combos 

• Small Stuffed + Small Thin Zachary’s Favorite Pizza $40
• Medium Stuffed + Medium Thin Zachary’s Favorite Pizza $50
• Large Stuffed + Large Thin Zachary’s Favorite Pizza $60

Pizzas do not have to be the same Zachary’s Favorite for two pizza combos.

The holiday season is fully upon us, and with it, the spirit of giving! During the entire month of December, we will be hosting a holiday food drive at all five of our locations.  We are gathering nonperishable food items that are canned, boxed or in sturdy plastic containers.  Wondering what to donate? Think about healthy, nonperishable items you would eat if you were hungry! Here are some ideas our local food banks offered:

• Natural Peanut Butter
• Whole Grain Cereals
• Hearty Low Sodium Soups
• Beans and Lentils (dry or canned)
• Canned Tuna and Chicken in Water
• Canned Fruit in Juice
• Nonperishable Low Sodium Ready to Eat Meals (chili, ravioli, etc.)
• Low Sodium Canned Vegetables
• Brown Rice
• Whole Wheat/Grain Pasta
• Canned Tomato Products

All contributions will be donated to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.  As an employee-owned, Bay Area business, we believe supporting and giving back to our local communities is not only important, but a vital part of who we are.  Please join us by donating on your next visit and helping to ensure everyone in our communities has a wonderful holiday season!

Oakland we have exciting news for you! Lunch service will begin at our newly opened Grand Avenue location Monday, November 11th at 11am! That’s a lot of 11 action 😉

Monday marks the start of our official lunch service at Grand Avenue! We will open at 11am for dine in and take out.  Thin-Crust pizza-by-the-slice will be available from 11:30am to 2:30pm Monday – Friday, and Personal Thin-Crust or Chicago-Style Stuffed pizzas will be available from 11am to 4pm Monday- Friday.  Thin-Crust slice options will be Cheese, Pepperoni, Veggie (mushroom, green pepper, onion), and Sausage.  For personal pies, you can create your own or choose one of our Zachary’s Favorites! We recommend limiting create your own personal pizzas to 4 toppings or less for optimal cooking.  You can enjoy our full size pizza menu seven days a week.  And, don’t forget, we have a full bar! WOOT! Bloody Marys to start your weekend anyone?!

As part of our lunch menu we also offer Lunch Specials and Personal Upgrades.  Lunch specials include a slice, a small Caesar salad and an ice tea or fountain drink of choice.  Personal Upgrades add a small Caesar and an ice tea or fountain soda to your personal pizza of choice.

While slices are first come, first served, personals and whole pizzas can be placed in advance for quick and easy lunch pickups!

Are you a local business thinking about all the lunch pizza parties to come in the near future? We offer corporate accounts! Email our accounts manager at cc@zacharys.com for more info!  We hope to see you soon!

Spooky season is officially upon us and with it, Halloween parties! And what’s a Halloween party without pizza? For Halloween day we will have special hours at our new Grand Avenue location! We will be open from 2pm-4pm for take out and 4pm-9pm for take-out and dine-in! We will be closing one hour early only at Grand Ave. We encourage you to call ahead to place your take-out orders in advance. Half bakes are always great options for picking up early and finishing off at home, plus you beat the lines- win, win!

All our other locations will be open normal hours.  You can also call in advance to place your orders for later pickup times.

Halloween Hours for all locations:

Oakland Grand Ave– 2pm-4pm Take-out only. 4pm-9pm Dine-in and take-out.  (510) 658-3226

Oakland College Ave– 11am-10pm  (510) 655-6385

Berkeley– 11am-9:30pm (510) 525-5950

San Ramon– 11am- 9pm Dine in, take out until 9:30pm.  (925) 244-1222  Reservations accepted.

Pleasant Hill– 11am-10pm Dine in and take out.  At Pleasant Hill, we’ll be showing kid friendly Halloween movies in our dining room and offering adult and kid themed drinks!  (925) 602-7000