Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Ziegler.
Hi Christian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started working in the restaurant and service industry right out of high school in a small place making fried food and washing dishes. After working during the summer, I went off to college and quickly realized that I had a passion working in the restaurant industry. After working at Hunger Street Tacos for several years, I set off with the goal of opening my own establishment. I worked at various restaurants learning different cuisines as well as expanding my knowledge on the business side of this industry. While all of this was going on, my brother moved to Philadelphia to attend culinary school and pursue his passion of cooking and expand his skillset. We had always wanted to open a restaurant together and when the space that Ziggie’s Pizza is currently in now became available, we knew we had to make it work. When we found the location, it was clear that pizza was what we wanted to do. I worked tirelessly on dough recipes to find a combination that we truly loved. It was exciting seeing the culmination of hard work and experience come together as we went through this process. I had worked in an Italian restaurant and made pizza when I was younger, but my passion for it never really went away. It quickly became a challenge of what we could do while building our menu. At the end of the day, pizza is a blank canvas: bread, sauce, and cheese.
Once the menu was mostly put together, I was able to focus on the atmosphere, most importantly to me, the music. I am very passionate about music and have been able to share that with our guests through some of the interior decor, the restaurant’s music playlist, and even on some of the menu. At the end of the day, I wanted this to be an expression of who we are as people and have that reflect in our restaurant. It was scary when we opened because it felt like we were opening ourselves up to be judged by the public and reviewed online. The response has been mostly positive, and we are beyond grateful for the support we have felt from our neighborhood and community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This journey has not been smooth to say the least. To own my own restaurant has been a goal of mine since I was 18 years old and to have one with my brother became a goal not long after. It has come with sacrifice, failed relationships, long hours, and numerous mistakes. Everything I did for years seemed to have this goal in mind and often encompassed my thoughts, where I lived, and my free time if any. When I started in this industry I did not even know how to cut properly, all I knew is that I was good with numbers and would figure out a way to make it work. I had to learn from the ground up. I had amazing people along the way teaching, guiding, and mentoring me. I had times where people would not understand my passion or sometimes called obsession with this. I had relationships struggle and not work out because of the time and energy this part of my life consumed for so long.
When we opened, we did it self-funded and on a shoestring budget. We worked some long hours to make sure we could keep the doors open. Our priorities were to take care of our staff and pay them well to minimize turnover, especially early on, and of course, to make great food. If everything worked out, our plan was to then pay ourselves and hopefully create some normalcy in our own lives. There was times when the hours were painfully long, and I was exhausted. It felt like we might not ever get there, but eventually, we did. Looking back on it those time feels like it was ages ago and short-lived, but in the moment, it felt like the opposite. I am beyond grateful that I did not quit or give up before the breakthrough happened because it was so much closer than I thought.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a small pizza restaurant located in the Ivanhoe Village of Orlando. We specialize in 12-inch unique and creative pizzas. Our goal is creating an amazing guest experience to the best of our ability for every person we serve. We are known for our unusual pizza toppings, one specifically being “The Killa Beez” which is a hip-hop reference to a group we are very fond of. The pizza is a fig jam, prosciutto, and pepperoni pizza that we top with goat cheese and our house-made hot honey. Another funky but fan-favorite is our “Ziggie’s Stardust” – pistachio pesto base, cheese, smoked slab bacon, roasted mushroom, red onion, truffle oil, and topped with our house-made green goddess dressing. Our restaurant has a calm atmosphere with lots of plants, wood benches, and tables creating a cozy atmosphere where people can hang out and relax while listening to music we love. Ziggie’s Pizza is attached to The Thirsty Topher, a local craft beer bar that serves a great selection of Florida-brewed beers.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
My brother and I are originally from Orlando. I have lived here the majority of my life and so grateful to be a part of the community and help contribute to the growth of our city. Our new goal is to better the people around us and our restaurant has been the vehicle for us to be able to do so. Whether it’s by helping our employees with whatever assistance they might need, donating to different charities, or even collaborating with local businesses around us, we want to see Orlando grow into something special. It’s been happening for a long time, but we want to be a part of the change so that the perception of our city is no longer chain restaurants and theme parks.
Pricing:
- Pizzas range from $10-16
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ziggiespizza.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziggiespizza/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ziggiespizza/
Image Credits
Christian
Floyd Ziegler
Airam Dato-On
