Restaurant renovates to sustain growth

Ziggie's Caf is going through some major changes.

The all-day, all-night restaurant on South Campbell Avenue is currently undergoing a renovation. Inside and out, contractors are adding new wiring, plumbing, drywall and a new exterior. Despite construction, Ziggie's is still open for business.

"We are making things better," said owner Agim Zendeli.

The project began July 10 and should be done by Sept. 27, Zendeli said. Ness Architects of Springfield did the design work and Buildspec Inc. is the general contractor.

In all, the renovation is a $500,000 investment, Zendeli said.

A steady increase in business required a larger facility, he added.

"The business is growing. We needed more space, work space and seating capacity," Zendeli said. "The traffic flow is substantial."

Approximately 44 seats will be added, bringing the maximum capacity to 144, Zendeli said. A new entrance is being built on the west side of the building, and 22 parking spaces will be added to the north. The cold-storage area is also being rebuilt. For now, refrigerated truck trailers serve as temporary walk-in freezers. A new stucco-like exterior will also give the business a different look.

Ziggie's Caf currently serves approximately 800 people in a 24-hour period, Zendeli said, and 23,000 people per month.

When the work is done, Zendeli said there will be a new menu with more specialty items. He also plans to add 10 full-time positions, bringing the staff to 40.

Through the disruption of the remodeling, customers still find their way in through a temporary entrance. In fact, the construction has hardly affected the business, Zendeli said.

One such customer is O.D. Newman, who has stopped by Ziggie's every day for the past year to grab a cinnamon roll.

"I think (renovation) is a great idea," Newman said. "Right now it's an inconvenience for the girls (wait staff) but not so much for the customers."

Agim's father, Zulbehar Zendeli, founded Ziggie's Caf in 1983. At the time, the business was located on West Sunshine. In 1994, the business moved to the current 2222 S. Campbell Ave. location and Agim took over the business.

"The other building was much larger, but also very old," Agim Zendeli said. "It was not worth it to fix the place."