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New Zingerman's coffee shop opens by Ann Arbor airport

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

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Ann Arbor

Getting a cup of Zingerman's coffee is a little bit easier these days now that the acclaimed eatery has a satellite coffee shop on Ann Arbor's south side.

Zingerman's Coffee recently opened its processing site in an industrial area on Plaza Drive, in the Airport Plaza Business Park next to the world-famous eatery's bakehouse and creamery. There's a retail component to the site allowing customers to see how the coffee is made and grab a cup of joe in the process.

The Zingerman's brand houses a family of businesses that all specialize in high end food --bread, cheese, chocolate, coffee- as well as customer service. The deli in Kerrytown accounts for about one third of the company's business. The rest of their products are made elsewhere in Ann Arbor where there is more room to operate.

A common philosophy to these businesses has been that everyday customers can buy what is being made for retail outlets, grocers and restaurants at the site.

"These are businesses," says Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman's. "We want to make it easy for people to buy from us."

Another important aspect of the Zingerma's business model is to demonstrate how the company sticks to its local roots and emphasizes the high quality of its products. One of the other ways it does this is by offering site tours. These will soon be available at Zingerman's Coffee's new home.

For years Zingerman's has stood its ground at its original location, turning down opportunities to franchise or open new locations outside Washtenaw County. Zingerman's has even looked at the idea of opening a Ypsilanti location, because so many of its employees live in the up and coming community. It has the kind of do-it-yourself culture the founders identify with. Nothing has yet to come from that idea, however. Zingerman's would also like to expand its Kerrytown location.

Source: Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman's
Writer: Jon Zemke