About Zola

Welcome to Café Zola!

We pride ourselves on being the best place for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Ann Arbor and beyond. We are an independently owned and operated business, opened by Hediye Batu and Alan Zakalik in March 1996. The name “Zola” comes from French writer Emile Zola because the original breakfast and lunch menu was largely influenced by French cuisine and culture. Our dinner menu borrows from Italian and Mediterranean culture and cuisine, including some Turkish recipes.

At Café Zola we use the freshest and best ingredients for our omelettes, crêpes, waffles, salads, sandwiches, appetizers, entrées and pastries. We choose our suppliers to ensure that we get the highest in quality and selection. We serve fresh, strong coffee and offer espresso beverages as well as french press pots with a rotating array of specialty beans. Our tea is from TeaHaus in Ann Arbor, which only presents teas of the highest quality. Our rotating wine selection has been personally chosen from various vineyards by owner Alan Zakalik. Any items we do not make from scratch come from the finest local bakeries. When possible, we always use organic produce, dairy, eggs, poultry, meat and seafood.

We have an established customer base in Ann Arbor and surrounding communities, and many guests stop in while visiting from other states. We have developed a close relationship with our guests and consider them members of our family.