Media Contact: Beth Floyd
bethfloyd@zoeskitchen.com

11/13/2007 - Zoe's Kitchen selling big stake

The owner of Zoe's Kitchen has sold a majority ownership stake in the Birmingham restaurant chain known for its health-conscious fare to a Los Angeles investment firm that could lead to a major expansion.

Zoe's owner John Cassimus said the deal, which was finalized this week, will enable the chain to open as many as 200 restaurants over the next five years across the Southeast and Southwest. He will remain chief executive, and the company's headquarters will stay here.

"When I started out, I knew I wanted to build a national brand," Cassimus said. The chain has grown steadily from a 900-square-foot storefront in Homewood in the mid-1990s to a 20-store chain in six states today, but Cassimus said it's been financially challenging to keep up the pace.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

<-- Go Back