New Florence restaurant to offer ‘Mediterranean with Southern hospitality’

/in , , , /by

zoeskitchen

“FLORENCE, S.C. – The name Zoë in Greek translates to the word “life.”

In Zoës Kitchen, the Mediterranean way of life is embraced to the fullest with a family-recipe-inspired menu using fresh ingredients. The Zoës Kitchen franchise has more than 214 locations in 20 states with its newest store set to open in mid-May at 2100 W. Evans St. in Florence.

Zoës Kitchen features a variety of Mediterranean cuisine highlighting not only Grecian food, but also food from other countries including Spain, Italy and Tunisia. Guests can choose from appetizers, salads, and entrees including classic chicken or steak kabobs, pita sandwiches or hummus plates. The fast-casual restaurant also offers vegan and vegetarian options.

Each item is prepared with lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil and fresh herbs. With no microwaves and no fryers, Zoës Kitchen staff members prepare each food from scratch. Regional operator Keith Beaulieu said Zoës Kitchen will offer a fresh, healthy food option not readily available in to Florence residents.

“It definitely struck me as there not being something that we offer in this area,” Beaulieu said. “The balance of the healthy lifestyle as well as our hospitality and the food, I didn’t see anybody else doing that over here so that really spoke to me as to why we needed to be in Florence.”

Along with its dine-in services, Zoës Kitchen also offers take-out and catering options. Beaulieu said a large percentage of their business is driven through catering so he expects the Florence location to have a high volume of catering requests, especially with the continued development of downtown.

“This is an up-and-coming area,” Beaulieu said. “Having a district down there with so many options that we can cater to was definitely a good option for us to be here. I’m excited about this town.”

Fresh, Mediterranean-inspired food isn’t the only priority for Zoës Kitchen, according to Beaulieu. Establishing a new business also means creating more jobs for the local community and Beaulieu said Zoës Kitchen makes sure that not only the customers are satisfied but also the staff members are too.

“Having come to work for Zoë’s it’s definitely a different environment in the way that we take care of our guests and our people,” Beaulieu said. “Not only is it a great place to come and eat but it’s a great place to work and provide a lot of opportunities for our employees.”

James Blease is the general manager of the Zoës Kitchen in Florence and he has 15 years of experience. Blease said the core values of the company are what drew him to apply for the position and said Zoës’ mission to put people first sets it apart from the other restaurants he has worked in the past.

“The whole culturel and vibe here is totally different,” Blease said. “We’re going to bring a lot of things to Florence that people aren’t going to be used to. People are going to be amazed at the level of service we have.”

“We’re Mediterranean with Southern hospitality.”

Zoës Kitchen is hiring for all positions. Those interested in applying can visit careers.zoeskitchen.com.”

SCNow Web Article – New Florence restaurant to offer ‘Mediterranean with Southern hospitality’