Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Anderson.
Hi Zachary, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a native to Flint Michigan, transplanted in the northern Michigan forests and thriving. I survived brain cancer, college and my 40th birthday, and I cooked the entire time.
In my career, I’ve worked in 24 different restaurants, always searching for the home I would eventually make for myself. I’ve learned so much, about food, yes, but also about culture, and what I want from a workplace. The result of this idealizing is Acorn Kitchen, a small collection of nice, considerate, passionate people who love food. Now, I just hang out with my friends all day, making food and goofing off.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s not been easy, of course not. This isn’t an easy industry.
Costs of everything are obscenely high, and opening a business during a northern Michigan winter can feel discouraging at times, but everything has gone surprisingly smoothly. I’ve found employees who care about what they are doing and any problem beyond that is as simple as a to do list.
Now all we need are lots and lots of customers.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Acorn Kitchen has found a comfortable niche here in Lebanese food, an underserved cuisine in this region, but I hope to be most known for a creative, bold menu approach that continues to present new and exciting options, as well as a friendly and humorous vibe. A visit to Acorn Kitchen feels like visiting a funny friend who makes great shawarma.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The restaurant industry is changing, and I think it is for the better. Specifically, the casual dining realm is evolving into something new, where table service is no longer as prevalent as fast-casual counter service. The restaurant of today attempts to strip extra costs off of the escalating overhead of food service and present an experience that begins and ends with food as much as possible. Acorn Kitchen is an exemplary model of this concept, as a stand alone food serving unit supplemented by beverage businesses sharing the building. It is the combined effort of three businesses that make this a dining destination, rather than the giant umbrella of one restaurant casting its shadow over all aspects of service.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomicacornkitchen
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DwjW5icCb/
