It all began with an idea
I was just 16 when I decided to enter the workforce. With so many options available, God only knows why I chose to start as a dishwasher. What began as backbreaking work quickly turned into my absolute passion. I fell in love with the chaos, the heat, the rhythm of the kitchen. I still remember lugging around bus tubs full of sauté pans, stealing glances at the cooks flipping ribeye steaks, heavy metal blasting, bandanas tied tight. Sharp knives, fire, expletives. It was raw, intense, and completely badass. I knew I had to be part of it.
I begged the chef for a chance to work the line. Eventually, I got my shot and I made the most of it. I worked my way up quickly, and soon decided to take the next step by enrolling in culinary school.
Fast-forward 13 years: I’d run several kitchens and most recently served as the head chef of Naperville’s top-rated restaurant. As much as I loved the fine dining scene, something was still missing. That itch? It was pizza.
Pizza has always been my favorite food. The first time I made Neapolitan dough, something just clicked. I knew I had found my calling. Around that same time, my brother Chadd and I were living together in an apartment in Oak Park. The kitchen became our test lab. Night after night we experimented with different doughs, tomatoes, cheeses, olive oils, and flavor combinations. One night we started playing around with a simple idea: brushing rosemary garlic oil onto the crust. It was bold, aromatic, and completely addictive. What started as late-night experiments in our apartment quickly became something bigger. We realized we had something special and decided to go all in.
That moment became the foundation of Zazas.
From the beginning, Chadd and I built this company as a partnership. I focused on the culinary side, obsessing over dough, ingredients, and the product itself. Chadd took the reins on the business side, building the operational and financial foundation that would allow us to grow. Every major decision since then has been made together. In December 2021 we opened our first restaurant, Zazas Pizzeria, in Lakeview, Chicago. The response was immediate. Publications like Bon Appétit, Chicago Tribune, Steve Dolinsky, Barstool Sports, Condé Nast Traveler, and Eater helped introduce our pizza to a wider audience, and our fan base began to grow.
Our family soon joined the journey as well. Our mom, Sue Gambla, and our stepfather, Steve Gambla, came on board as partners. Steve brought invaluable experience and guidance with strategy and numbers, while Sue took a leading role in public relations and helping us build the brand.
Together, we laid the foundation for what Zazas would become.
On our second-year anniversary in 2023 we expanded into the suburbs with our second restaurant concept, Nemec Brothers Pizzeria in Geneva, Illinois. While born from the same DNA as Zazas, Nemec Brothers developed its own identity with an expanded menu, wine and beer, and a different atmosphere. Just five months later we opened a third location in Glen Ellyn. Then in October 2025 we opened our fourth restaurant, and second under the Zazas brand, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago.
We continue to push forward, constantly refining the product and expanding the brand.
Today, Chadd and I still run the company the same way we did in that Oak Park apartment. We talk about the business constantly. We challenge each other, push each other, and obsess over every detail.
We are always chasing the next improvement, the next idea, the next restaurant.
When you take a bite of our pizza, we hope you taste more than just quality ingredients.
We hope you taste the love, the hustle, and the story behind every slice