Zum Zum

Zum Zum was an American restaurant brand associated with New York City and German-style food. The first location opened in 1964 in the Pan Am Building, now known as the MetLife Building, around the time of the New York World's Fair. The concept was developed by Joe Baum, then president of Restaurant Associates, and was designed as a compact, counter-service restaurant rather than a conventional table-service establishment. Its distinctive format emphasized speed, visual identity, and a focused menu built around German wurst and freshly smoked meats. The brand's name reflects a German linguistic convention: many German restaurant names begin with “Zum,” meaning approximately “to the” or “at the.” Zum Zum reinforced that association through its visual identity. The logo, created in 1963 by designers George Lois and Kurt Weihs, incorporated a sausage shaped like the letter “U,” making the product category central to the mark and helping the restaurants stand out in the crowded urban food environment of mid-century New York. During its historical operating period, which extended from the 1960s into the 1980s, Zum Zum expanded beyond its initial Manhattan location. A restaurant opened in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1969. Contemporary commentary indicates that the chain served several varieties of wurst, frankfurters, sauerkraut, sausage-based dishes, potato salad, breakfast food, desserts, and inexpensive set meals. The Harvard Square location was noted for breakfast offerings including apple pancakes, while its German positioning was reinforced by the use of mustard rather than ketchup as the principal condiment choice. The restaurants were particularly unusual for their exclusive or predominant counter seating, a feature that differentiated them from more traditional German restaurants. Reception was mixed. New York Times critic Craig Claiborne praised the seasoning and texture of the brand's sausages, including bauernwurst and frankfurters, but criticized the blandness of some salads and side dishes. A 1969 Harvard Crimson review similarly regarded the frankfurter, breakfast items, and value positively while describing the overall menu as limited for diners who did not already enjoy German food. These accounts portray Zum Zum as a specialized, accessible quick-service concept rather than a broad international restaurant chain. The brand also acquired a small place in popular culture. It was mentioned in Jobriath's 1974 song “Scumbag,” and a related reference to “Zom Zom's” appeared in Gary Numan's “Down in the Park.” The restaurant is also mentioned in Jeannette Walls's 2005 memoir The Glass Castle, in which her sister Lori is described as having worked there. In early 2022, the rights to Zum Zum were purchased by William Belida, who owns The Salon Group in New York City. The reported plan was to relaunch the brand with an updated menu and a refreshed focus. Publicly available reference material does not establish whether a relaunch fully occurred, the final location, the detailed menu, or the current operating footprint. Zum Zum is therefore best understood as a historically significant New York restaurant name with a reported modern revival effort, rather than as a clearly documented currently operating chain.

Zum Zum originated in New York City during the expansion of postwar American restaurant culture and the development of fast, specialized urban food concepts. Joe Baum, president of Restaurant Associates, opened the first Zum Zum in the Pan Am Building in 1964, in conjunction with the opening of the New York World's Fair. Rather than present itself as a conventional full-service German restaurant, the concept concentrated on counter seating and a narrow but recognizable menu. This operating model suited the building's office population and the era's growing demand for relatively quick meals. The menu centered on German wurst, including frankfurters and other sausages, as well as freshly smoked meats. Side dishes and additional offerings included sauerkraut, salads, potato dishes, breakfast items, and desserts. The name was chosen to evoke German restaurant naming conventions, in which “Zum” commonly appears at the beginning of an establishment's name. The logo was designed in 1963 by George Lois and Kurt Weihs and depicted a sausage forming the shape of the letter “U.” This gave the brand a memorable identity while directly signaling its principal product. Zum Zum subsequently operated in more than one market. In 1969, it opened a location in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Reviews of that restaurant describe a menu offering several types of wurst, frankfurters with sauerkraut, inexpensive desserts, and a substantial breakfast selection that included apple pancakes. The restaurant's German character was also expressed through its condiment service: reviewers noted that mustard was provided in varieties associated with “sweet” and “hot” flavors, while ketchup was not emphasized. The reported use of pewter plates and counter-oriented service further contributed to the concept's distinctive presentation. Contemporary critics did not evaluate every part of the menu equally. Craig Claiborne of The New York Times considered the sausages well seasoned and texturally successful, while finding the sausage salad and potato salad insufficiently developed. Esther Dyson, writing for The Harvard Crimson, considered the food and breakfast value favorable but suggested that customers who did not enjoy German food would find the selection narrow. Together, these reviews indicate that Zum Zum's strength was product specialization and affordability, not culinary breadth. The chain remained associated with the restaurant landscape of the 1960s through the 1980s. Its later historical footprint and exact closing dates are not fully documented in the supplied reference material. The name continued to appear in cultural references, including Jobriath's 1974 song “Scumbag,” a later related reference in Gary Numan's “Down in the Park,” and Jeannette Walls's 2005 memoir The Glass Castle, which mentions her sister's employment at the restaurant. A revival effort emerged in early 2022. William Belida, owner of The Salon Group in New York City, acquired the rights to Zum Zum and began work toward a relaunch featuring an updated menu and a refreshed brand direction. Available information does not confirm the completed opening of a new restaurant, the final ownership structure beyond the rights purchase, or the brand's current number of locations. The documented history therefore consists of an original New York-area restaurant chain followed by an announced or developing modern revival.

• 2022

  Rights acquired for a planned revival

  [1]Zum Zumen.wikipedia.org

  William Belida acquired the rights to the historic brand and began work on a relaunch with a revised menu and brand focus.

• 1969

  Harvard Square location opens

  [1]Zum Zumen.wikipedia.org

  Zum Zum expanded to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, bringing its counter-service German menu to a prominent university-area market.

• 1964

  First Zum Zum opens in the Pan Am Building

  [1]Zum Zumen.wikipedia.org

  Joe Baum opened the first location in New York City's Pan Am Building in connection with the 1964 World's Fair.

• 1963

  Zum Zum visual identity created

  [1]Zum Zumen.wikipedia.org

  George Lois and Kurt Weihs designed a logo featuring a sausage shaped like the letter “U,” establishing the brand's central visual association with German sausage.

Historically positioned as an accessible, counter-service German restaurant specializing in sausages, smoked meats, and inexpensive comfort food. The reported 2022 revival sought to update the menu and sharpen the brand's contemporary focus.

• Sausages · 1964

  German wurst

  The core product family of the original Zum Zum concept consisted of several German-style wurst varieties. The menu's specialization in sausages distinguished the restaurants from broader American diners and conventional German table-service restaurants.

• Main dishes · 1964

  Frankfurters with sauerkraut

  Frankfurters served with sauerkraut were among the most accessible offerings associated with Zum Zum. Contemporary commentary presented the frankfurter as a particularly dependable choice at the Harvard Square restaurant.

• Smoked meats · 1964

  Freshly smoked meats

  Freshly smoked meats formed a second major part of the original menu alongside wurst. The available reference material does not specify the full range of meats or the production methods used.

• Breakfast · 1969

  Breakfast menu

  The Cambridge location was noted for breakfast, including standard breakfast fare and apple pancakes. Reviews characterized the meals as inexpensive and filling, with German-style jams and maple syrup mentioned among the accompaniments.

• Sides and desserts · 1964

  Desserts and side dishes

  Additional offerings included potato salad, sausage salad, doughnuts, fruit salad, and apple crumble. Critics praised some of the value and simplicity but also found certain salads too bland or lacking additional seasoning and ingredients.

• 2022

  Acquire rights and reposition the brandStrategy

  Background

  The historic restaurant chain had operated from the 1960s into the 1980s, and its rights were later acquired by William Belida of The Salon Group.

  Action taken

  Belida pursued a relaunch with an updated menu and a refreshed brand focus rather than simply reproducing the historical format.

  Aftermath

  The available reference does not confirm whether the relaunch opened, where it would operate, or what its final menu and business model became.

  Source

1. 1Zum Zumen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Archived Zum Zum websiteweb.archive.org