LIMITED TIME SPECIAL: “ZA-CURRY’S” CHICKEN PIZZA

A sliced cheese pizza on a metal tray. The pizza is topped with melted cheese, caramelized onions, and olives. The crust is golden and sprinkled with cornmeal.In support of our beloved WARRIORS, we are bringing back our “Za-CURRY’s” Chicken Pizza at our Oakland and Berkeley locations! This fun, unique pizza has curry spiced chicken and onions with golden raisins and mozzarella cheese. It’s available as a thin crust pizza only.

Huge congrats to two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry!

GO DUBS!

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 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.

HOUSE-MADE ITALIAN MEATBALL PIZZA

Our new Italian Meatball Pizza is available for a limited time at all Zachary’s!

Zachary’s house made Italian style meatballs with fire roasted red bell peppers and mozzarella cheese. We have a limited daily supply – please ask for availability when you call or arrive. It’s so good!

A close-up of a pizza topped with melted cheese, red bell peppers, and sausage on a wooden table. In the background, there are jars with condiments and utensils on a napkin.