After its new owners shelved the Zoe’s Kitchen brand, the Mediterranean-style restaurant is making a comeback with its original owners.
Joe Cassimus, who expanded his parents’ original Zoe’s Kitchen to transform Birmingham’s fast-casual eatery into a chain of more than 300 locations, is teaming up with his family to bring back the brand founded in 1995.
Cassimus sold Zoe’s Kitchen to Cava, who in turn decided to change all Zoe’s to the Cava brand of Mediterranean-style restaurants. Alone a Zoe’s is currently open in the Birmingham area.
In a The Facebook video posted on ThursdayCassimus said Zoe’s is back in its old location of Crestline Village in Mountain Brook.
Cava has “given me, my mom and dad the opportunity to resurrect Zoe’s original cuisine here in Birmingham, Ala. at Crestline’s location for all those unique fresh, flavorful and healthy menu items that you love so much,” Cassimus says in the video.
An opening date for the new Zoe’s has not been scheduled, but Cassimus said more details of the opening will be posted on www.zoeskitchenbhm.com.
Founded by Zoe and Marcus Cassimus in 1995, the Mediterranean concept grew under their son John Cassimus to include additional restaurants in Alabama and Tennessee. Cassimus eventually sold his majority stake in the company and resigned as CEO.
Zoe’s Kitchen moved its headquarters from Birmingham to Plano, Texas in January 2013 and March 2014 the company went public. The chain now has about 250 restaurants in the United States
In 2018, Cava bought Zoe’s Kitchen in a deal that would have valued at around $300 million.
Cava opened its first location in Montgomery last year, as well as a storefront in Birmingham at Brook Highland Plaza along the US 280 corridor that was once a Zoe’s.
Comments are closed.