Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Berg.
Zach, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have been obsessed with food from a very young age. I found my way into commercial kitchens by the age of 13. I washed dishes and eventually cooked my way through high school and college. I studied Hospitality Business at Michigan State University. After undergrade, I found my way to Zingerman’s Delicatessen where I really started to delve into the story behind the foods we sold.
Zingerman’s is where I really honed my skills as a storyteller. I had always loved food but I began to understand that the context was important, context can be delicious! Eventually I moved to California. I got a Culinary Art Certificate from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley. After school I cooked at a place called RN-74 in San Francisco. When I stopped cooking, cheese called me back and I landed in a great market called Bi-Rite also in San Francisco. I spent several years at Bi-Rite before moving home to Metro Detroit.
When I came home to Metro Detroit I started do pop-ups as Berg’s Provisions. In 2017 we had our first brick and mortar location. In 2018 we opened in Detroit in our first stand alone store. By 2021 we opened in Berkley and added the RIND shortly after.
Currently we only have our store in Berkley Michigan, with the restaurant attached, Mongers’ Provisions + the RIND. We love to feed you, tell you stories, and create a space for you to connect.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Small business ownership is always an adventure. We have navigated our way through Covid, Tariffs, and the largest increase in Wages in generation for service workers. We are incredibly lucky to have a strong community and customers who support us through those times.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I think what sets us apart is our emphasis on relationships. After 20+ years in cheese and 30 + years in food, I feel like I am selling my friends products. Many of our suppliers have been in my life for decades. This also translates to our customers. We have built a community of supporters and dinners. People have went from customers across the counter to friends at my dinner table. We are thankful to be a relationship based business. We source intentionally and we think it shows. So if you have a someone coming over that you think is worth going out of the way for, come by and let us elevate your table.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I have a very high emotional IQ. I feel deeply and that helps me connect to people. I also believe I am having as much fun as the guests as I guide them through a tasting. It is a privileged to do the work I do. I believe my sense of gratitude helps me navigate the tumultuous world of hospitality.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mongersprovisions.com/
- Instagram: @mongersprovisions + @therindmi
- Facebook: Mongersprovisions
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mongersprovisions1673
