Zolly’s Grill is officially open and on the rise in Iowa City.
Zolly’s Grill — a new Mediterranean-American fusion restaurant — celebrated its opening in the Old Capitol Mall on Sept. 21. The family-owned restaurant replaced Bollywood Grill, which closed earlier this year.
The business is run by Sarabjit Singh and his sister Annie Sood. Before joining the restaurant industry, the two helped with their family gas station in Waterloo, Iowa, and later sold it for a hotel business. However, they wanted to get into something more fast-paced and personable.
Singh said the hotel business was more of a “slow, sit-in-place kind of job,” and he quickly knew that was not what he wanted. The restaurant offered a more engaging feel that he strived for.
“We’re very people-oriented and very customer service-based. I really like taking care of people, that’s why I’ve always been in customer service, and easily the best form is food, because everybody loves food,” Singh said. “There’s just a different feeling that I get when I’m serving food to people and they’re enjoying it.”
A key aspect of Zolly’s is their diverse and unique menu. The restaurant features a mix between Mediterranean and American food and even combines them for one of their specialty dishes called the Gyro Burger. Other menu highlights include rib tips, Philly cheesesteaks, and Munster cheese curds.
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The menu also includes a section of Halal and vegetarian foods that the owners hope to expand over time. On the first day of opening, they only had one option, and after nine days, they added more than 10 options.
Singh explained that it’s a goal of theirs to be available to everyone, and they will work to grow their menu in tandem with their restaurant.
The owners also said keeping their prices reasonable for customers was a major priority. Sood said the expensive nature of the food industry makes it inaccessible and they wanted to keep their food at a reasonable price. Sood and Singh are also former college students from the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, so they know the struggle some college students face with money.
“I think restaurants keeping prices down in such a student-heavy area can bring in so much business. It’s nice to hear places are taking price into account,” second-year UI student Brynn Pietzsch said.
Sood also stressed the desire to connect with their customers.
“We want to be more of a community restaurant where we know the people and the people know us,” she said.