Did you know that Zola’s On The Water is the third Zola’s location?
True story.
Curiosity piqued? Read on!
The History Of Zola’s: Origin and Naming
Once upon a time, the smallest restaurant in Brookings was Wharfside Restaurant–a tiny little seafood & chowder house right by Slugs ‘n’ Stones ‘n’ Ice Cream Cones down at the Port of Brookings-Harbor. Wharfside closed in the early 2000’s, (which was a real bummer because they had the best clam chowder I’ve ever eaten and clam chowder is my favorite food). By 2006 the weather-worn building was ready to be torn down by the Port of Brookings-Harbor…
The Origin
Across town, in 2005, Bob and Jamie Lindburg opened Zola’s Pizzeria in the old historic bank building at 702 Chetco Avenue (currently a.ell atelier & design).
How Zola’s Got Its Name
Jamie and Bob put some real thought into naming their restaurant, and it took several weeks of figuring. Jamie said of the process, “We wanted something short that started with a Z and was Italian…so came up with Zola’s…meaning “dirt–of the earth” – which, everything we did was fresh – so that was appropriate. Plus it landed us in a good “phone book spot” that stood out and was easy to remember.”
The original menu was simple: pizza, breadsticks, and Caesar Salads. Here’s their original pizza lineup:
•Zola’s Combo
•All Meat
•South Pacific
•South Pacific Gone Wild
•Alfredo Chicken Pizza
The Lindburg’s stayed at the 702 Chetco Avenue location for approximately 1 year before moving into the former Wharfside Restaurant location:
They took over the space on agreement with the port that they’d fix up the building and make it a viable business once again. So they refurbished, installed their wood-fired pizza oven into the already small dining area, and off they went making hand-tossed, wood-fired pizzas. They added 3 varieties of wings, plus pastas (spaghetti, alfredo and mac & cheese), several varieties of breadsticks, and more pizzas to their menu. Things pretty much stayed like that until 2009, when the Lindburg’s sold their creation to Eian and Monica Savas.
New Ownership, New Beginning
In 2009, the Savas’ took over ownership of Zola’s Pizzeria. They expanded the menu by adding even more pizza options, sandwiches and an ever-expanding selection of local bottled and canned beers. They also painted the exterior of the building purple with neon green trim, to grab the attention of passers-by.
They added a new flair to the culture of Zola’s by implementing several interactive elements that really connected with customers and became trends, helping fuel their fanbase in the early days.
- Customers decorated dollar bills, which were stapled to the ceilings.
- Customers and staff decorated pizza boxes, which lined the walls and ceilings.
- They covered every table with butcher paper in lieu of tablecloths and set out boxes of crayons at every table to encourage even more customer creativity. The table paper became wallpaper. Check it out in the reel below.
They created 11 years worth of memories (and art) in that small space between 2009 and 2020, growing a huge customer base of locals and travelers alike. Between the cramped space, large staff, the constant heat of the fires, and their still growing fanbase, they knew someday soon they’d need more room.
Setting The Stage For Zola’s On The Water– A Farewell To Sporthaven Marina
In January of 2020, Sporthaven Marina officially closed after almost 25 years in operation. The owners, Howard and Cindy, were great people. They were very welcoming, treated you like family, and they put a lot of love into the food they served. I was sad to see them go. I enjoyed eating there and doing deliveries for them.
A Salute To Another Great Chowder House Down
Over the years, Sporthaven Marina won the Oregon Coast Chowder Cook-Off three times: in 2009, 2010 and 2012–and they were named the best chowder house in Southern Oregon. A real bummmer for this chowderhound when they closed.
Another Amazing Transformation — Zola’s On The Water Is Born
Eian and Monica took over the former Sporthaven Marina building in 2020 and created Zola’s On The Water. True to their style, they updated the exterior–though this time with a more downplayed color scheme (they saved the wild transformation for the interior). They also renovated the patio with new seating and glass railing, plus added a pet-friendly area, firepits, cornhole, live music in- and outside, and added coverings to the deck. Oh, and heaters for the deck and patio.
One of my favorite elements of the move and the remodel of the new space is that they kept all of the artwork and brought it with them by painstakingly converting every piece into digital images, which were then turned into a wallpaper collage, which they pasted up in the pizza kitchen with a newer, larger, wood-fired pizza oven. I love the juxtaposition of the old and the new.
Apart from the visual changes, they went all out with the menu. They’ve really outdone themselves and they are now a fullscale restaurant, in addition to a pizza joint. They added a burger (The 57 Burger), Pork Tenderloin, Steaks, Calamari, Oysters, Scallops, Crab, Fish n Chips, Fish Tacos, Ceviche, Gaspacho, Poke, Shrimp Cocktail, Peel & Eat Prawns, and Clam Chowder with housemade bread bowls (a delicious and welcome item), plus a whole bunch of new sandwiches, pasta dishes, appetizers and miscellaneous items!
Oh, did I mention the bar? That’s a thing. No more cans and bottles. Pull up to the bar for big boy service with beer on tap and a full selection of mixed drinks and liquor options. Just check out that transformation. Amazing! (The bars are on opposite sides of the building, but the difference in style is definitely noteworthy).
Hurry In Curry Delivery Service & Zola’s On The Water
Hurry In Curry came on the scene back in 2016. At that time Zola’s Pizzeria was still delivering pizzas. That changed in 2020 when they moved into the new building. Eian contacted me, asking if I’d be willing to take on deliveries since they’d be focused on the full, “in-house” dining experience, and they planned to cease delivering altogether. I was enthusiastic and agreeable.
We’ve built a great relationship over the years. Fistbumps and smiles on the fly all day! Eian and I are both always on the go, so that’s our relation, “hello and goodbye” at high speed.
It’s been a great 3 years. Their staff is huge and they consistently amaze me with their efficiency. They are a fine-tuned, well-oiled machine. Here’s to many more years of success for Zola’s On The Water, and to their continued relationship with Hurry In Curry Delivery Service.
A Word Of Thanks!
Heartfelt thanks to YOU, dear reader! Your support and encouragement mean everything to us. Thanks for being here.
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Gabriel Chatman
Owner/Operator
Hurry In Curry Deliveries
**Bonus Historical Footnote for those who enjoy footnotes from the annals of eras gone by (and for those who enjoy the word annals): Big Z Sticks used to be called “Brad Sticks.”
; )