"Pride of Wisconsin Avenue"
Local entrepreneur believes in quality service with a personal touch that's rarely found in "fast food"

Whether you step into Ziggie's for a quick burger or for a relaxing meal, there is always a man with a smile and a Greek accent to greet you. "It's uncommon in this day and age to see someone take pride in their work as much as he does," said Jamie Kane, a communications junior. "The owner of the place really cares and you get that feeling." This man, who prefers to be known to students as simply "Ziggie," is dedicated to making his customers feel safe, welcome and happy. Ziggies restaurant, 1626 W. Wisconsin Ave., is unique. It has a cozy atmosphere with about 20 seats and with a menu of items ranging from burgers to steak to gyros. Ziggie hates precooked food, so the food at his restaurant is fast, fresh, and cooked especially for each customer. The food is fresh because Ziggie visits produce markets three times a wekk. The meat is of top quality, and he only uses olive oil when he cooks. He only serves food to his customers that he would actually eat. Ziggie believes in doing things "first class or not at all." "There is more to business than profit," he said.

Ziggie's business attitude shows in his enthusiasm. Students like the restaurant because it is conveniently located, clean and inexpensive. When he has time, Ziggie walks around the restaurant and visits with his customers to see that they are content. "Ziggie reminds me of a New York bistro type of restaurant," said Heather Sutter, a business administration junior. Ziggies is also known for its specials. Two standing specials include: the Cheeseburger Special, which includes a cheeseburger, fries, and a medium soda for $3.08 and the Gyro special, which includes a gyro, fries, and a medium soda for $4.25. To find the right specials, Ziggie spent time talking to his customers, studying their habits and searching for their likes and dislikes. He understands that students are always on the go and on a tight budget. Therefore, he tries to give students the most for their money.

Ziggie said he came to this country from Greece almost 25 years ago to escape revolution and to find freedom. Since that time, Ziggie has called many different places home. He has lived in New York, New Jersey, California and Texas. He has lived in Milwaukee for almost two years. Since he has moved here, Marquette University has been home to a special kind of restaurant. "I go to Ziggies because I like the feel of a small diner in a big city," said Janet C. Frene, a communications senior.

Ziggie has spent time working in "first class hotels and restaurants" learning some of the world's best chefs' secrets. All of the items on the menu are unusual. Ziggie only sells foods for which he has "the original recipe from the chef who created it." For example, his philly steak sandwich is made with the exact ingredients and the same way that the original chef used to create it.

Ziggie came ot Marquette because he wanted to serve middle to upper class students with family standards. He also likes Marquette because it is an enclosed campus and near downtown. "Milwaukee is cleaner than Chicago and most large cities," Ziggie said.

As for the future, Ziggie has many hopes for the restaurant. He would like to expand to seat 80 and serve three types of cuisine: American, Greek and Italian. Because he has heard that students do not enjoy residence hall food, he would also like to implement a meal plan-type of program. HE also said he wants to start a "Ziggie Scholarship Fund" to help students pay for tuition. Whatever lies ahead for Ziggie, he certainly has made a name for himself with Marquette students.

This article originally appeared in the Fall 1992 Marquette Journal and was written by Swati D. Joshi.