Satisfaction Guaranteed: How Zingerman's Built a Corner Deli into a Global Food Community

by Micheline Maynard

Overview

From an accomplished journalist, this illuminating chronicle of the trials, tribulations, and triumph of Zingerman’s—a beloved, $70 million-dollar Michigan-based gourmet food store with global reach—is “thoughtful reading for foodies and entrepreneurs” (Kirkus Reviews).

Certain businesses are legendary, exerting immense influence in their field. Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is one of those places. Over the years the flagship deli has expanded into a community of more than a dozen businesses, including a wildly successful mail order operation, restaurants, bakery, coffee roastery, creamery, candy maker, and events space—transforming Ann Arbor into a destination for food lovers.

Founded in 1982 by Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig, Zingerman’s philosophy of good food, excellent service, and sound finances has turned it into a company whose reach spans all corners of the gourmet food world. Famous for its generous deli sandwiches, fresh bread, and flavorful coffee—all locally produced—Zingerman’s is also widely celebrated for its superb customer service and employee equity. The culture is one of respect and innovation, while maintaining very high standards. Every employee has access to the financial records, everyone has a voice, and everyone is heard. It has legions of enthusiastic customers, fans across the food world, and business principles and a work ethic that have been admired, analyzed, and copied. All that is revealed here, in Micheline Maynard’s Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Discover how by 2019, Zingerman’s employed hundreds of employees and achieved close to $70 million in annual sales. When the pandemic struck, Zingerman’s growth momentarily screeched to a halt—but it survived by reinventing itself, while still serving its beloved food and selling its wide array of groceries. Now, as Zingerman’s looks forward to a half century in business, it is on track for stronger results than ever. A recipe for success in business and in life, Satisfaction Guaranteed provides a roadmap for manifesting joy and purpose in everything you do.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781982164614
Publisher:	Scribner
Publication date:	02/22/2022
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,093,605
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 6.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Micheline Maynard is a journalist, author, and professor. She is a contributing columnist at The Washington Post, where her essays on business and culture appear in Voices Across America. She has been a senior editor at NPR’s Here & Now and was a senior correspondent and Detroit bureau chief for The New York Times. She also writes for The Takeout and Medium. She is the author of four books, most notably The End of Detroit: How the Big Three Lost Their Grip on the American Car Market. She lives in New Orleans and Ann Arbor.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Part 1 The Backstory

Chapter 1 Zingerman's Best Day-and Its Worst 3

Chapter 2 How the Deli Came to Life 11

Part 2 Food and Philosophy

Chapter 3 A Tour of Zingerman's Deli 27

Chapter 4 Guiding Principles 41

Chapter 5 Service on Every Level 61

Part 3 Inside Zingerman's

Chapter 6 A Community of Businesses 77

Chapter 7 Mail Order 91

Chapter 8 The Bakehouse 101

Chapter 9 Coffee and Candy and Cheese 111

Chapter 10 What It's Like to Work at Zingerman's 125

Part 4 Beyond Ann Arbor

Chapter 11 Teaching Others 141

Chapter 12 Camp Bacon and Guests 155

Part 5 Looking Ahead

Chapter 13 The Pandemic Strikes 169

Chapter 14 The Future of Zingerman's 189

Epilogue: Zingerman's Vision for 2032 199

Appendix 217

Bibliography 219

Acknowledgments and a Note on Sourcing 221

Index 225

Editorial Reviews

11/08/2021

In this stale hagiography, journalist Maynard (The End of Detroit) chronicles how the specialty food store Zingerman’s went from “a single crowded corner deli in a leafy college town to a $65 million business.” She writes of the company’s founding in 1982 in Ann Arbor, Mich., by friends Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig and details how it evolved into a major force in the gourmet food industry, gaining renown for its dedication to customer service and thoughtful treatment of employees. While Maynard clearly admires the business (comparing it to “some of the world’s most successful companies, especially Toyota”), readers may find the niche store’s business model more tiresome than inspiring. The owners’ purportedly unique “Visioning” process, for instance, recommends that one’s “effective vision” be “inspiring,” “strategically sound,” “written down,” and “communicated”—four conditions that, on the whole, seem pretty basic. The same could be said about Zingerman’s “12 Natural Laws of Business,” a list of ideas the company operates under, which includes such banal points as “Profit is good” and “Greatness takes time.” Equally bemusing is the way in which Maynard describes the impact of Covid on the shop’s customers, who felt an “emotional loss” due to “the absence of the big menu boards with... fun sandwich names.” This one’s reserved for Zingerman’s zealots only. Agent: Irene Goodman, Irene Goodman Literary. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"Nontraditional Jewish restaurants have recently redefined what it means to eat deli. [Satisfaction Guaranteed] chronicles the roots of this reformed cuisine." —Wall Street Journal

"Maynard's book will certainly appeal to Zingerman’s aficionados, but it will also interest those seeking to succeed in the challenging, ever changing world of gourmet fare. . . . Thoughtful reading for foodies and entrepreneurs." —Kirkus Reviews

"Offer[s] much to learn about the commitment necessary to grow a successful organization that places ideas and values over short-term profits." —Booklist

"Just when we food lovers thought we couldn’t admire Zingerman’s any more than we do, along comes Satisfaction Guaranteed with dozens more reasons to marvel at the treasured food haven. Maynard has written a book that captures the soul of this little deli that grew and grew and the unusual thinking that built the business. If you’re new to Zingerman’s, this is a great introduction to a most extraordinary place. If you’re already a fan, you’ll be fascinated by the insights. In every case, satisfaction is guaranteed." —Dorie Greenspan, author of Baking with Dorie

“Just like the exceptional company it chronicles, this book might have been called Satisfaction Exceeded! Micheline Maynard beautifully captures the trials, tribulations, trajectory, and ultimate triumph of one of America’s greatest business stories. Zingerman’s has fed generations of hungry gastronauts and inspired a legion of businesses fueled by purpose and love.” —Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group and author of Setting the Table

“Whether you are starting a business, or just looking for a better way to organize your life, Micheline Maynard’s book is sure to make you better at everything you do. Sometimes in life we have all the motivation but not the information and this book helps you put those two together.” —Patricia Wells, journalist, author, and cooking school teacher

"Satisfaction Guaranteed is a bible for excellence and values-driven organizations. This isn’t how most businesses are run . . . but it should be. I underlined half the book! Micheline Maynard delivers what I have wanted for decades: a deep dive into the magic of Zingerman’s." —Ti Martin, co-proprietor of Commander’s Palace, New Orleans

From the Publisher

2022-01-05
A journalist examines the business philosophy and history of a legendary Midwestern delicatessen.

Maynard is the former Detroit bureau chief for the New York Times and author of other business-focused books such as The End of Detroit: How the Big Three Lost Their Grip on the American Car Market. She began writing about Zingerman’s to understand how a delicatessen located in a small Michigan town could command a global following and emerge more prosperous than ever in a food-service industry ravaged by the pandemic. Research into the 40-year-old company and interviews with its founders, Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig, revealed that part of its success involved a philosophy that focused on three bottom lines: “great food, great service, and great finances.” Their famously pricey products, such as the signature “overstuffed” sandwiches and artisanal pastas, all speak to the "authenticity" that made customers look beyond price tags and embrace the "Zingerman's experience.” Commitment to brand integrity emerged after early commercial success in the 1980s led investors to call for expansion outside Ann Arbor. Instead, Saginaw and Weinzweig opted to focus on socially conscious growth that hinged on doing good for employees and the local community. Both engaged in what they called “visioning”—determining an inspiring, strategically sound plan that could be communicated to others—and stressed the importance of service on every level, starting at the top. The deli quickly grew to include a plethora of other ventures, including a food rescue program for the needy, mail-order services, a bakery, and a diner. Ultimately, though, it was the company’s ability to remain agile and innovative and move swiftly into online retail that allowed it to not only overcome the lockdowns and employee layoffs caused by the pandemic, but to thrive. Maynard's book will certainly appeal to Zingerman’s aficionados, but it will also interest those seeking to succeed in the challenging, ever changing world of gourmet fare.

Thoughtful reading for foodies and entrepreneurs.

Kirkus Reviews

Lauren Ezzo narrates this celebration of Zingerman’s with a quick delivery that animates the story. But don’t try to find a knish here; she pronounces it “nish”; it is “ka-nish.” Despite this gaff, she ably voices the author’s enthusiastic take on this unique Ann Arbor-based collective of food operations. Founded as a modest Jewish deli, Zingerman’s serves high-quality, expensive products in the hometown of the University of Michigan. This well-done audiobook details how it grew into a $65-million-operation that survived, even thrived, during the pandemic due to its online acumen. Opened in 1982 by Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw, the enterprise has stayed local yet perfected online business and brought its employees along with it. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2022 - AudioFile

Lauren Ezzo narrates this celebration of Zingerman’s with a quick delivery that animates the story. But don’t try to find a knish here; she pronounces it “nish”; it is “ka-nish.” Despite this gaff, she ably voices the author’s enthusiastic take on this unique Ann Arbor-based collective of food operations. Founded as a modest Jewish deli, Zingerman’s serves high-quality, expensive products in the hometown of the University of Michigan. This well-done audiobook details how it grew into a $65-million-operation that survived, even thrived, during the pandemic due to its online acumen. Opened in 1982 by Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw, the enterprise has stayed local yet perfected online business and brought its employees along with it. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2022 - AudioFile