The Zuzubara transformation: Street branches and a menu that lets you choose the portion size
When it opened back in 1999, Zuzubara brought a real breakthrough to the country and saw huge lines for many months. After the chain was sold in 2024, the buyers decided to refresh the ranks, and now the chain is getting a facelift, including innovations that haven't been thought of yet in pan-Asian chains in Israel.
At the beginning of the millennium, Zuzubara in Herzliya Pituach was a hysterical destination. Huge lines, the likes of which had not been seen in the country, stretched outside the restaurant. Everyone wanted to set foot in this highly innovative place, which offered seating at huge shared tables, waiters taking orders on small screens, exciting noodle dishes, and worthy shakes. The Yerzin brothers drew inspiration from similar restaurants abroad (mainly Wagamama), and the restaurant grew into a chain.
In 2024, when pan-Asian restaurants are a routine thing, the Yerzin brothers sold the chain to the Vivino and Delino group (Asaf Atias, Eliyahu Hadadi, Oded Strauss, and Ehud Tzurif) in an acquisition that stirred the restaurant world. Two years later, they are presenting a real transformation of the veteran Zuzubara.
The group's goal is expansion. A new branch will soon open in the Ayalon Mall, Zuzubara Street, with self-service ordering kiosks, and in about 8 months, 2 additional branches in Haifa (in the Hutzot HaMifratz and Sammy Ofer malls). In total, 6 Zuzubara branches are expected to open across the country in the next two years. But the existing branches of the chain are also undergoing a transformation. The new concept started at the Zuzubara Kfar Saba branch, and the Herzliya and Tel Aviv branches will soon be updated as well.
So what is the reason for the change? The new owners' credo is a full service experience: hostess, waiters, minus the shared tables (a concept that finished its role during COVID), and the main change is in the menu. The chain will continue to serve popular noodle dishes, but with quite a few changes. The big innovation is that for all main dishes, you can choose the portion size. The menu offers a choice between a classic size (74-109 NIS) and a solo size (62-86 NIS), which allows you to order several dishes for sharing so that you can taste more and perhaps pay a little less.
Several appetizers have been added to the menu, and the sushi selection has grown from 5 classic rolls to no less than 24 dishes, including hand rolls, poke bowls, and special combinations. Another interesting innovation is that many dishes are served with interesting additions. The Best Seller Super B noodle dish, for example, is served with a refreshing Asian salad, while the Hong Kong Fried Rice with seafood comes with a special seasoning mix and a lemon wedge.
The new menu offers a total of 45 dishes, divided into appetizers, salads, buns, Vietnamese dishes, stir-fried rice, noodles, soups, and main dishes. The same chef has been here since the chain was founded; what changed is the approach. The new group understands the atmosphere, the customer, and their needs. The idea is to project investment but remain in the casual sector, to satisfy those who come to the restaurant not twice a year on birthdays, but 3 times a week with children, friends, and extended family.
Zuzubara, G Complex, Weizmann 207, Kfar Saba. Not kosher.
