Back in business: Expanded Trattoria ZaZa returns with its classic dishes

It’s been just over 10 years since Ohio natives and childhood friends Brian Somershield and Geoff Lockert opened their fast-casual Italian eatery, ZaZa Trattoria, in the Frank Nelson Building downtown.

The restaurant — Somershield and Lockert changed the name to Trattoria Centrale in 2010 — quickly became known for its Roman-style pizza slices, pasta and breakfast; its fresh, locally sourced ingredients; and a friendly vibe.

Long-time employees Bryan Stanfield and Erica Schmidt stayed true to that vision after they bought the restaurant in 2015.

But big changes recently came to Trattoria Centrale. Birmingham developers Orchestra Partners began a major renovation of the Frank Nelson Building as The Frank, a mixed-use redevelopment with retail, restaurants and office space.

And beginning in February, Trattoria Centrale closed while the building’s first floor was finished.

The eatery reopened in late July with a freshly renovated space, greatly expanded seating, a new nightly dinner service and a new name that actually harkens back to the restaurant’s origin — Trattoria ZaZa.

One thing has changed very little, though, said chef and co-owner Bryan Stanfield: the menu.

There have been a few small changes, but the owners “didn’t want to change too drastically,” Stanfield told a recent visitor to the restaurant.

“We are obviously very thrilled with the product we’ve served the last 10 years,” he said.

Trattoria ZaZa, which is closed Tuesdays, continues its weekday breakfast and lunch service. Breakfast includes items such as omelets, frittatas, fresh fruit, hash browns and baked goods. Lunch includes salads, soups, pizza and traditional Roman pastas such as penne all’arrabbiata and cacio e pepe.

The new dinner service offers an expanded menu and nightly specials.

The menu for the popular weekend brunch, a staple of the Trattoria for eight years, is relatively unchanged. Brunch items include mascarpone stuffed french toast, breakfast pizza topped with eggs, seasonal frittatas and biscuits with gravy.

The owners have stuck with tradition in another area, the addition of the phrase “ZaZa” to the restaurant’s name.

Somershield and Lockert used the phrase in the name when they opened because it was a slang term for pizza in the Cleveland area. But they later changed it to avoid a possible legal battle with a restaurant in Montgomery with a similar moniker and plans to franchise statewide.

“ZaZa was something that started with Brian and Geoff, and it was always very close to our hearts,” Stanfield said. “I knew it was something we wanted to get back with.”

It isn’t just the food that has made Trattoria ZaZa popular, Stanfield said. “I would say the food is phenomenal and has a great price point, but there are other restaurants that offer similar quality and price,” he said.

What sets the Trattoria apart is the community, Stanfield said.

“We really try to get to know our customers and develop relationships with our customers,” Stanfield said. “Authenticity is something I look for in all my employees.”

That said, the staff takes great care with the food.

“We really try to go out of the way to find the best ingredients, and we source from reputable people and serve things we feel good about,” Stanfield said.

Stanfield was not concerned the eatery might lose customers during the nearly six month hiatus.

“We’re very blessed with the community base we have down here,” he said. “Almost daily, I would have customers reach out and say they missed us and were excited about the expansion. I knew they were waiting.”

Stanfield has gotten positive reactions from customers about the new space.

“Everyone is very excited about having more seating,” he said. “That was always the number one complaint.”

The Trattoria added 700 square feet overall — counting some additional storage — and about 500 square feet in additional seating area.

The eatery now has about 1,000 square feet for dining, not including outside seating, and can accommodate 86 people.

The restaurant had also increased its workforce from eight employees to 23, including 18 full-time employees.

All of the extra space for seating is a boost for profitability, Stanfield said.

“I think the only way you could increase lunch business was increasing seating capacity because it was always full,” he said.

Since the reopening, the number of people eating lunch has gone up, and sales at lunch are up about 25%, Stanfield said.

The additional space in the back of the restaurant also made it possible to add dinner service, he said.

The ongoing revitalization of downtown Birmingham, including an increasing number of residents, also helps make dinner service feasible, Stanfield said.

“It makes everything more viable,” he said. “Our lunch business is always great, but breakfast and dinner have the capacity to grow.”

It is exciting to see projects like The Frank helping to bring more people and businesses downtown, Stanfield said.

“I’ve been here for 10 years, and [the Frank Nelson Building] has been 70 percent vacant most of the time,” he said. “I’m thrilled to be part of the Frank Nelson revitalization but also thrilled to be part of revitalization of downtown Birmingham.

“It’s amazing to see the transformation of downtown the last decade, and especially the last five years,” he continued.

Foot traffic can still improve, however, especially on slow nights like Monday and Tuesday.

But Stanfield is optimistic.

“There are more and more people living here, more and more businesses here,” he said. “It makes it more of a point of destination.