The Orange County restaurant scene has come a long way over the past 35 years. Diners looking for adventurous fare were once forced to make the trek to Los Angeles, despite the county’s small but growing cultural culinary scene.
One of those local restaurant pioneers, Chef Zov Karamardian, is credited with introducing Mediterranean cuisine to Orange County in the 1980s via her Zov’s restaurant.
The Armenian immigrant has authored two cookbooks, hosted dinners at the prestigious James Beard House on numerous occasions, cooked alongside Julia Child at her Tustin bistro, and was honored by the State of California as the 2004 Chef of the Year.
In 2015, the Karamardian clan earned recognition during the Business Journal’s annual Family-Owned Business Awards.
Zov’s celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, and rather than resting on its laurels, the restaurant chain has announced an expansion into San Clemente—the fourth Zov’s location in Orange County. The others are the original Tustin restaurant, as well as Newport Coast and Irvine’s Orchard Hills shopping center.
17th Street Start
Karamardian began her empire as a catering company in 1987 before opening her first location on 17th Street in Tustin, a block from the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway.
“My goal when I started the restaurant was not to have a restaurant, it was more like a bistro,” Karamardian said.
“When you go to Europe you see bistros everywhere, it’s a place where people gather. We were open four days a week in the morning until 2 p.m. That was the first phase of Zov’s. It was not a full-blown restaurant, but it kept progressing. That first one was very small, 1,200 square feet.”
The growth of the Tustin restaurant happened organically. As neighboring businesses vacated their spaces, Zov’s acquired them and expanded their seating capacity, and kitchen.
“Those were calculated risks, but customers demanded we needed more space,” Karamardian said.
Karamardian’s son, Armen, was brought on board in 1993 to assist with the restaurant’s growth. Over the years, the bistro in Tustin has expanded into 14,000 square feet of space that includes both the bistro and a casual café and bakery plus a private dining room.
There is also a busy catering division that brings Zov’s culinary style to homes and special events throughout Southern California.
“If we had tried to open this large restaurant from day one, it would have been too much, too soon,” said Armen, who noted they needed additional seating to accommodate their dual eateries. They also expanded their patio, which became a saving grace during the pandemic.
“Patio dining has been part of our culture since day one,” Armen said. “Eating outside goes hand in hand with our type of fare.”
In 2007, Zov’s made a bold move and opened new locations in Irvine and Newport Beach. They had agreed to Irvine first, but then learned about a space in Newport Coast that was perfect for a third location. They managed to spread the openings eight months apart, but it was still challenging.
“For a small company to do that—those were big steps,” Armen admitted. “We made it through the recession in 2008, and then opened in Anaheim in 2014.”
The latter location was rebranded as Roxy’z by Zov’s in 2021. The dining demographic is different from Zov’s, as is the menu and ambiance.
Next Move
Zov’s is on the move again. A fourth location in San Clemente is in the works, due to open in early 2024.
“It’s similar to the Newport or Irvine locations in size and feel,” Armen explained. “It’s on Avenida Del Mar. It’s an exciting location for us. San Clemente is becoming a great little restaurant town.”
Zov’s menu has morphed and changed over the years, although Karamardian said there are core menu items that they cannot touch.
“Some items have been on the menu since the beginning,” Karamardian said.
“Some were seasonal items that made their way onto the menu. It’s all about Mediterranean spices. At the time, nobody knew about hummus or baba ghanoush.”
“Now you find them everywhere,” Armen said. “We introduced people to it. There are health benefits to it.”
Samueli Institute
That’s one of the reasons Zov’s restaurant is partnering with the UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute to offer a special menu in collaboration between Karamardian and UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute’s Executive Chef Jessica VanRoo.
The menu is a celebration of the transformative power of the culinary arts to our health. This special three-course menu is $35 and includes roasted beet dip with tahini swirl and toasted pita, pan roasted sea bass with seared zucchini cake and toasted feta in a lemon caper sauce, and chia seed yogurt with turmeric and fresh mango.
“The UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute has integrated healthy diets and living into their curriculum,” Armen said. “The medical students are learning from an executive chef teaching them about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. It’s food as medicine. They collaborated with Zov on the menu.”
Secrets to Success
Celebrating 35 years in the restaurant business is a remarkable milestone since many restaurants don’t make it past five years. What’s their secret to longevity?
“I wish I had a specific answer,” Armen said. “We love what we do. We are passionate, and we have a great team that embodies our mission. We have team members that have been with us 10, 25, 30 years. We connect with the community. We have three generations of guests.”
“They are part of our growth,” Karamardian added. “They see us grow and are part of it.”
“But if the food is not good and the service is not good, they are not going to come here.
It’s about the guest experience,” Armen stated. “We have the responsibility to make sure we are delivering with exceptional service and exceptional food. There are great restaurants popping up around us, so if you don’t perform, guests have a lot of options. We do not take our longevity for granted.”
Zov’s Tustin: 17440 E. 17th St., Tustin, (714) 838-8855, zovs.com
Zov’s Irvine: 3915 Portola Parkway, Irvine, (714) 734-9687, zovs.com
Zov’s Newport Coast: 21123 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Beach, (949) 760-9687, zovs.com
