Culinary entrepreneur continues passion with The Food Union in SW!
Rochester tastebuds rejoice! The names Jerry and LeeAnn Zubay are notorious to innovative and create beloved restaurants in our city, and their latest venture, The Food Union, has moved from Downtown to a SW location near T.J. Maxx. For decades, the Zubay's have shaped Rochester's dining scene, and their expanded specialty food shop promises to bring the same passion and quality that locals have come to expect.
For those who have lived in Rochester for a while, you have likely dined at one of the Zubay's restaurants. This journey began in 1978 with the opening of The Bank Restaurant downtown . This marked the beginning of a remarkable career's that saw the creation of extremely popular restaurants in Newt's and Henry Wellington's, often in partnership with Mike Currie . Their company, Creative Cuisine Company, became a staple in Rochester's culinary landscape, boasting delicious popular eateries.
In 2009, LeeAnn and Jerry embarked on a new business with ZZest Market & Cafe.
LeeAnn, described as the creative force behind ZZest, envisioned a unique space that functioned as both a market and a restaurant . Located near the Apache Mall, ZZest quickly gained a loyal following for its exceptional food and the market's curated selection of gourmet ingredients, especially artisan cheeses – a passion that led LeeAnn to become a Certified Cheese Professional . ZZest even earned national recognition, winning the Specialty Food Outstanding Retailer award in 2011.
While the ZZest cafe and bar closed in 2017, its spirit lives on with LeeAnn's experiential retail store: The Food Union . As LeeAnn Zubay, likely speaking in a recent video interview, explained, "Food union is basically a specialty food shop... My kind of focus is on cheese and charcuterie because that's my background... But it's kind of evolved into lots of different new things"
The Food Union relocated from Downtown to 1300 N Frontage Road Salem SW #900, near T.J. Maxx. Leann shared at this location is offering some much needed room for expanding her vision: "The addition in this new space is, events, happy hours. I really, really love doing gift boxes. So that's another thing that I've been doing all along, but I'd like to make that a little bit more forward. And I also do and love to do subscription boxes"
LeeAnn described The Food Union as a "hobby farm," indicating that this venture is driven by her personal passion for specialty foods and a desire to share that love with the community .
Whether you're a longtime fan of the Zubay's restaurants or new to their culinary contributions, The Food Union offers a unique and exciting experience. Stop by the new Food Union to explore the curated selection of specialty foods and discover the same dedication to quality and flavor that has defined the Zubay name in Rochester for over four decades. As LeeAnn mentioned, you can also find many of their offerings online at www.thisisfoodunion.com
This culinary family is far from finished in their mission to delight the taste buds of Rochester.
This article was made with assistance from AI
