Ari Weinzweig

Ari Weinzweig
Ari speaking at ZingPosium 2018
Born	(1956-11-03) November 3, 1956 (age 68) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker
Known for	Co-founding Zingerman's Community of Businesses
Notable work	Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading series
Website	Zingerman's Community of Businesses

Ari Weinzweig is an American entrepreneur, author, speaker, and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses, a group of food-related enterprises based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Early life and education

Weinzweig was raised in Chicago, Illinois.[1] He pursued a degree in Russian History from the University of Michigan.[2] His early career included various roles in the restaurant industry, where he initially washed dishes, eventually progressing to roles in cooking and managing kitchens.[3]

Career

Weinzweig founded Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1982 with his business partner, Paul Saginaw.[4] Originally a singular deli, Zingerman's has since expanded into what he terms a "community of businesses", including a bakehouse, coffee company, creamery, and candy manufactory, among others.[5] As of July 2024, Zingerman’s Community of Businesses encompasses 11 separate entities, employs over 750 people, and generates over $80 million in annual revenue.[6][7]

Weinzweig is a writer and literature collector, having authored several books, business pamphlets, and contributions to Zingerman’s newsletters and blogs.[8][9] His "Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading" series explores his personal approach to business management and leadership.[10] Several of his published works explore business principles from the lens of Anarchist philosophy.[11][12][13]

Awards and recognition

• 1995: Recipient of the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County’s first Humanitarian Award.[14]
• 2006: Winner of the "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America" award by the James Beard Foundation.[15]
• 2007: Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from Bon Appetit magazine.[16]
• 2014: Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Cheese Society.[17]
• 2017: Named in Inc. Magazine’s article "The World's 10 Top CEOs (They Lead in a Totally Unique Way)".[18]

References

1. Bareuther, Carol (2023). "The Big Cheese: Ari Weinzwieg, CEO and Co-founding Partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses". Cheese Connoisseur.
2. Maynard, Micheline (2007). "A Corner Deli With International Appeal". The New York Times.
3. "Interview with Ari Weinzweig". Eater. 19 October 2018.
4. "Zingerman's: Not Your Grandfather's Deli". NPR.
5. Burlingham, Bo (2003). "The Coolest Small Company in America". Inc. Magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-02-19.
6. "Keeping Zingerman's Zingerman's". Ann Arbor Observerr. 27 August 2023.
7. "Ari Weinzweig Co-founding Partner, Zingerman's Community of Businesses". Detroit Regional Chamber.
8. "Ari Weinzweig, Writer, Teacher, and Zingerman's Co-founder". Edible Wow.
9. Paterniti, Michael (2013). The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese. Random House Publishing. p. 8. ISBN 9780812994544.
10. Maynard, Micheline (2022). Satisfaction Guaranteed: How Zingerman's Built a Corner Deli into a Global Food Community. Scribner. pp. 18–19. ISBN 9781982164614.
11. Veidlinger, Jeffrey (2014). "The Philosophy Behind Zingerman's Deli". Tablet Magazine.
12. Mesure, Susie (2019). "An anarchist's guide to doing good business". Financial Times.
13. Magan, Manchán (2019). "Anarchy at the cheese counter: how a US deli overturned the business model". The Irish Times.
14. "Ari Weinzweig". ZingTrain.
15. "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America Members". James Beard Foundation.
16. "Zingerman's Founders Get Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award". MLive. 13 September 2007.
17. "Industry Honors". American Cheese Society. 14 November 2023.
18. "The World's Best CEOs". Inc. Magazine.