A visitor to Zingerman’s tends to fall into one of two categories:a seasoned guest who visits regularly and knows the ropes or a first-timer who can legitimately ask in bewilderment, “What the heck is going on here?” If this is your initial visit to the Deli right now while we;re under construction, be reassured that this is not our norm. We are in the midst of a major build-out project and we apologize for the temporary dust, noise and tight quarters. Thankfully your trip’s not in vain and nothing will prevent you from taking advantage of our giant sandwich menu, our extensive catering services, the food education and sampling from our enthusiastic staff, and all the fun we have at Zingerman’s. We appreciate your visit and hope you’ll return whenever you can!
What will we gain from construction?
Number one is MORE ROOM and LESS CROWDEDNESS for everyone—guests and staff! We can’t wait for the varied seating options on both floors of the new addition, a family restroom on the Deli floor and more new restrooms in the addition itself. There’ll be more room to shop and display foods on the Deli floor. We’ll have good ADA accessibility to outdoor seating and better navigation inside. We’re excited about accommodations for large groups of diners, scheduled meetings, events, theme dinners, and tastings. To stop the wear and tear on our original building, all of our kitchen operations will be completely removed from the historic Deli and be located in the new addition. We’re in love with our greener mechanical and operational systems inside our buildings and all over our grounds. Beyond recycling and composting over a ton of garbage a week, we are committed to dramatically reducing our carbon footprint and are shooting for a LEED Silver rating! (Read more about this in the March-April newsletter article found on www.zingermansdeli.com/deli-construction-news/)
What is this project’s timeframe?
Construction will span approximately twenty months. It began with the removal of a tall evergreen on Kingsley Street last September. Then in January, we removed a fire-damaged building and excavated the driveway so all the utility lines could run to the street. That’s where we buried the rainwater holding tanks before repaving. Meanwhile our orange house has been lifted off its foundation so it could be rebuilt. (Check out a very entertaining video of the house being levitated and moved on our website.) The most recent phase is the hole-digging for the addition’s foundation. Our contractor has worked miracles to keep us on schedule despite Mother Nature’s whims and delays. So with luck we’ll meet our goal of completing construction and renovation by mid 2012.
Fun Footnote:
We recently visited our fallen tree trunk at John’s Urban Timber, a local sawmill that specializes in reclaiming, recycling and reusing fallen wood, where it’s waiting to be kiln-dried and milled into boards for creative repurposing somewhere in the project’s design.
Why are we enlarging our footprint?
Next year Zingerman’s will be 30 years old. Over that period of time, the number of sandwiches and guests served has increased quite a bit (20% increase each year and in 2009, a whopping 450,000 guests) but our facility hasn’t grown because it’s always seemed impossible. So the puzzle of this complicated expansion project has actually been in our heads for a long time. When we knew we’d finally run out of room, we put together a great team that has figured out an incredible plan. Read about our Integrated Design Process in the May-June newsletter article found on our website! Guided by the clear vision that team created, we’ve made millions of collaborative decisions and will continue to do so. The greatest challenges are the size and tightness of our site with hardly any room to move and our commitment to staying open for business every single day that the work goes on. Given all the challenges and obstacles, the work going on each day behind the fencing feels like a miracle!
How will it all look when it’s done?
The Deli’s front door will always be the entrance to Zingerman’s. Attached to the rear of the old building will be a skinny, windowed, 2-story connector to the rectangular, brick addition. That brand new structure will have two floors with the kitchen taking up most of the ground level and great seating areas on both first and second floors. Guests and staff will move easily through all the old and new spaces. Even the orange house will be integrated into the flow. Outdoor dining and patio events will remain front and center and our friendly, free-standing Zingerman’s Next Door will stay just the way it is!
Dont worry—essentially we’ll be the same. After it’s all said and done, the Deli will still feel like it’s always been, a familiar bustling meeting place for people of all ages who want to enjoy full-flavored, traditional foods served with a smile. Same great sandwiches made to order, same incentives to taste anything you want, same engaging staff with tips on our cheeses, meats, oils and vinegars, same morning regulars reading their New York Times, same bicyclists eating bagels at the end of a ride, same students in their quiet study spots, same families enjoying good food with children of all ages, same students with their visiting parents. It will feel like Zingerman’s, only better. After construction we’ll be better equipped for the long haul and we’ll have added green space, elbow room for our guests and staff, improved operations, and created many new jobs. We are committed to operating on this corner in a historic area where businesses and residences have coexisted as neighbors for decades.
Download PDF of the newsletter article
We’ve been spending some time ripening our French Bries in-house, and THIS is the weekend for all of Ann Arbor (and beyond) to take advantage of our hard work. Our current selection of this soft, mold-ripened cows milk cheese runs the flavor gamut: milky Brie d’Nangis, mushroomy Brie le Fougerous, and even a ripe and funky (in a good way, seriously!) Camembert. While some might yawn when they think of Brie, it has remained a staple at the deli for a reason and we’re proud to showcase our spectacular, artisan-produced selection of this French classic. We like to enjoy Brie as simply as possible–with a little bread, a little fruit, and maybe (ok, most likely) a glass of whatever wine is laying around. You might prefer to schmear it over a burger or bake it in a puff pastry. Or use it as a dip for french fries. Or eat it with a spoon. With a cheese this good, it’s hard to go wrong.
What is your favorite part of artisanally producing food?
How long does it take to make your product from start to finish?
