Test, test…*taps mic* test one, two! Testing…I think the mic is good. *Takes deep breath*
By Zachary Milner, Front of House Manager
Salutations everyone!
Welcome to the first edition of what will be a bi-weekly newsletter where you, our fabulous, esteemed guest, get to look “behind the curtain,” if you will, and see what’s going on behind the scenes at Zingerman’s Roadhouse.
This newsletter’s range of topics is nearly endless, which I think is fun and awesome for you all. From struggles with food costs and staffing to rejoicing over wins, big or small, to getting a sneak peek at our amazing recipes in the works for monthly specials. From celebrating our amazing staff and getting to know them more, to highlighting our Zingerman’s Roadhouse 2028 Vision coming to fruition. This newsletter is your companion to get even closer and more in touch with the Roadhouse you know and love.
From the warm hellos and laughter upon being greeted at the host stand, to the beautiful plate of food that you’ll never forget, the intricacies that go into making those special moments happen are worth highlighting, and darn it, here at the Roadhouse Gazette, we’re going to try our best to do so! So snag your favorite comfort beverage, a tasty snack if you can, and join me as we walk through all things Roadhouse.
Rebuilding from the Ground Up
Maybe many of you have already heard, but the Roadhouse is temporarily closed from January 4th to mid-February (fingers crossed to reopen the 16th!) for renovations. This has been a massive project in the works for a couple years now, as we will be fully renovating about half of our dining room and much of the kitchen. Really exciting stuff!
We wrote about what this would look like in our Zingerman’s Roadhouse 2028 Vision, so I think it’s best to use that as our reference point as we dive into the details on what we’re looking to do for those six weeks.
Let’s start with the wooden floors. When we moved into the former Bill Knapp’s in 2002, we worked with a local farmer who sold us the wood from his old barn. Ari and Paul (Zingerman’s Co-Founders) and Chef Alex Young (original Managing Partner of the Roadhouse) had the vision to repurpose all that wood as hardwood flooring. Lots of love and care went into treating it to be usable, and to this day, it is still walked on by all of you folks.
Twenty years later… it’s safe to say the floor is starting to deteriorate a touch. We saw the need to replace it entirely, and we will be fully replacing it in the following ways:
- The Common Room (the room at the far end with all the art honoring our distributors) will be fully carpeted, like the Fireplace Room.
- All the other flooring will be a sturdy, attractive tile.
We’re excited for this big change, and we hope you’ll love it as much as we do! The wood flooring was certainly full of whimsy and charm, and we are thankful for the 20+ years it gave us.
For the next issue of the Gazette, we will dive into the details of our brand new bar room we’re creating from the ground up! You’ll certainly want to stay tuned so you can join us in the excitement!
You Like Pop-Ups? How ’Bout Two?
So while we are closed for a few weeks this winter, we are also offering a couple of new things in the meantime! Let’s call it a late holiday gift, just for you!
Here’s a quick reference to our hours and locations, for where you can find some delicious Roadhouse offerings, and a couple of new innovations, too!
- Roadhouse Pop-Up at Zingerman’s Greyline, every week through February 14th.
- Sunday & Monday Brunch | 10am–2pm
- Sunday & Monday Dinner | 5pm–9pm
- The SideShow, a Roadshow Pop-Up on the Side!
- Breakfast & Coffee To-Go
Monday–Friday, 7am–1pm - Chef’s Dinners To-Go
Monday–Friday, 7am-1pm | 5pm–6pm
- Breakfast & Coffee To-Go
Joy + Anxiety = Perseverance in the Muck
I just did the math, scanning over my Google calendar (the only way I am able to manage my time), and I realized that in December, our leadership team had attended over 10 meetings on just the topic of our closure alone! From coordinating the moving of the salt and pepper shakers to the moving and storing of chairs, tables, iPads, printers…the list felt endless.
Odds are good, too, that our leadership group missed a few things and had to plan what to do in those moments on the fly. It’s safe to say the uncertainty certainly elicited anxiety…and yet, I, and I can safely say our whole leadership team felt joy in the process even so. Joy in the face of stress and anxiety, I have found, keeps one rooted in a balanced, healthy <ecosystem> that Ari talks about regularly. Emotional highs and troublesome lows are how life is for all of us. We may have those moments where we wish the stress would cease and that we would experience pure, unhindered joy.
And while those daydream moments may help us get through the day, it is a good reminder that unhindered joy is not realistic joy. Finding the joy in what I call the “muck” that life often brings you is, I would argue, the most rewarding way to experience real, tangible joy and happiness. This kind of joy is kindled in what I call perseverance, and it is quite the marathon!
In this context, perseverance is accepting that life is not black and white, but quite a gray muck that you’re sort of “stuck” in. What if, instead of feeling “stuck” in muck, we felt honored to even BE in the muck to begin with? What if, when having to attend 10 meetings on a single topic in three weeks, we chose to feel honored to have the privilege to be a part of each and every one of those? I can tell you, stopping and focusing on adjusting your worldview to see everything as a privilege and honor truly makes the muck less “sticky” and more “fun.”
Next time you’re in for a meal (after we reopen in February perhaps!), ask any of the managers you see why they seem to love working here. I’ll bet you’ll not only hear what I’ve described above, but will feel joy yourself.
Gazette Sendoff
The above is what we strive to embody here at Zingerman’s Roadhouse. To work together in unity and love to deliver the Zingerman’s Experience to each and every one of you and your families who come dine with us.
We have a few more weeks until we reopen and you can see our vision come to fruition for yourselves, while spooning up your favorite mac & cheese or savoring a sweet potato fry or two! We miss you, and look forward to seeing you in February!
Until next time, may your days be full of love, hope, and joy, and may we be honored to play a part in bringing a smile to your face 😀