Zoës Kitchen: Development Summit

I recently traveled to McKinney, Texas for the annual Zoës Kitchen Development Summit. This was a great opportunity to meet the Zoës team face to face and also learn more about their company including their process, the Zoës brand, where they stand now and where they see themselves in the future. There are a lot of people that come together to build a Zoës Kitchen such as the real estate brokers, vendors, contractors, and of course the architects. The Zoës team is very enthusiastic and that sentiment has certainly spread through the extended team.

The meeting was a great experience because we as architects do not always get to meet with those who perform the analysis for site selection, and work on the leases.  Even in the case of contractors and vendors, most of our interaction is limited to phone conversations and emails. In addition, as someone who has a business degree in addition to a degree in architecture, the presentation of their plans for their company, ideas on strategic positioning, and financial analysis was extremely interesting to me. 

Zoës Kitchen serves “Mediterranean-inspired food, where grilling is the predominate method of cooking along with an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs, olive oil and lean proteins”. Check out their website for their menu and locations to see if there is one near you. Aside from their commitment to the freshest and best tasting food, the atmosphere that Zoës works diligently to achieve in each and every location is one that is inviting, fresh, and unlike any other fast casual restaurant. JL Architects is working on several locations currently, so more Zoës Kitchens will be cropping up in the near future, possibly near you. Keep an eye on our blog and Facebook page for updates regarding Zoës openings!

 James A. Stedman IV, LEED AP BD+C