Zing's Spin-offs

Lobbying for Tunisian, Asian eateries

by Vickie Elmer

posted 6/20/2010

After building a reputation around Reubens, olive oils, macaroni and cheese, and other deli and gourmet delicacies, Zingerman's is cooking up something different: staffers are lobbying to add a Tunisian eatery and an affordable Asian restaurant to its "community of businesses." Zingerman's stated goal is to have fifteen to eighteen businesses in the Ann Arbor area by 2020, up from eight today. "We have a few in the pipeline right now," says co-founder Paul Saginaw, who cautions that many ideas never come to fruition. However, Maggie Bayless, managing partner of ZingTrain, told a recent training class that the Tunisian and "Asian street food" concepts were on the "path to partnership." Employee-advocates research new ideas, then work with a senior partner to refine and test a business plan. The decision to go ahead requires consensus among all sixteen Zingerman's partners--it will be "a minimum of twenty-four months," says Saginaw, before either could open its doors.   

[Originally published in June, 2010.]