ZAK Family Foods: A Recipe for Business Success

The Taco Bell and KFC “micro brand” known as ZAK Family Foods is successful for three important reasons: a concept of family, a passion for progress, and a dedication to social responsibility. These three elements have evolved organically from the brand’s very beginnings. In 1979, Jerry Zakaras, now CEO and Franchisee of ZAK Family Foods, began his journey to support his family as a Restaurant General Manager for a Pizza Hut in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. His cooperation with those working with him in the restaurant expressed itself in a way that was very familiar; it was the restaurant family. His value for family was what motivated him to explore the restaurant world, and it was what opened the doors to his business success.

Jerry found that business means more

The diversity of this family provides us with a unique approach to business, creative ideas, and valuable community insight. Our family’s passion for progress is about training with a spirit of endeavor and leveraging the diversity of our teams to help each individual reach his or her highest potential. Both personal and professional development are emphasized at ZAK. It is with this dual focus of training that sets ZAK into a category of ONE. ZAK believes that to create progress a company must set its focus on developing and uplifting leaders. Everyone that joins our family will be challenged with the task to become a leader in their own space. Training not only on routines and standards but also personal development and character is the recipe for progress in ZAK.

The Zakarases live and breathe operations with an emphasis on family and the “ZAK Triangle of Success” as their North Star. The ZAK Triangle of Success has three main pillars for reaching high performance on every professional level. Z. A. K.- Zippy / Accuracy / Kindness. These three pillars make up the ZAK roadmap for both team and individual