Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin and Alidor Lefere.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We opened Zanata in 2007, although our plans were to open in 2006. However, at that time, Rockwall was a dry county. We were protested on our liquor license from local citizens. After assistance from local and state officials, we resolved the issue and opened January of ’07. Our original space was just 13 tables. After two years of success, we expanded our space and now have 30 tables. What sets us from any restaurant that I’m aware of is our cooking process. We cook 100% of our food out of the wood-burning ovens. Steak, pork, fish, pasta, breads, pizzas, etc. are all made out of the oven. We boil water to cook pasta, we decrease wood temp to bake breads, we sear our steaks on the bed of the ovens at 1100 degrees.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As mentioned, the liquor license protest was a huge bump in our road. We didn’t have a penny to our name when we were planning on opening in July of 2006. Thankfully, our landlord cooperated with us and allowed us to start paying rent when we opened our doors six months later. Expanding was a struggle in the beginning. More than doubling our seating and staff overnight came with a learning curve. However, all in all, our road has been smoother than expected. We’re very fortunate to have wonderful staff and a supporting community.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We’re family-owned. We have three sets of brothers that work at Zanata (including my brother and me). Our staff, both front and back, are the reason why we have been so successful. We have over half of our staff that have been there for six years or longs. Some since we’ve opened. I think the culture we have cultivated for our staff and customers sets us apart from most restaurants. That, and our unique cooking style.
What were you like growing up?
My brother and I, like most brothers, we extremely competitive. Our father and father’s father both owned their own businesses. We knew from a young age that we wanted to eventually do the same thing. My brother was a teacher in Dallas/Richardson during the day and managing Zanata at night. I opened Zanata full time after being the Sous Chef for Daktoas Steakhouse for four years. We both worked insane hours to get where we are now. Growing up in an environment where your father and mother work hard to provide definitely taught us the importance of a good work ethic. My brother and I grew up playing hockey in Michigan and still play in leagues around the Dallas area.
Contact Info:
- Address: 202 E. Rusk St.
Roclwall, TX 75087 - Website: www.zanatas.com
- Phone: 972-722-2822
- Email: klefere@zanatas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zanatarestaurant/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zanatarestaurant/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/zanata-rockwall
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