Zazios to Close at End of January

Birmingham's Zazios, located at the busy intersection of Woodward Avenue and Maple in the heart of Birmingham, will be closing at the end of this month.

According to a release from the Greenleaf Hospitality Group, the Birmingham restaurant will close its doors effective Jan. 31.

Taking its place will be a "new and exciting concept" that will be revealed soon, Greenleaf's PR and marketing manager Sarah Lee said.

Whatever will replace Zazios will be led by the Kalamazoo-based Catalyst Development Co., LLC, which is currently in charge of developing the Greenleaf Trust Building, in which Zazios is housed.

"We had a great run and truly enjoyed serving our loyal guests as well as their support," said Michael Oswald, director of food and beverage for the Greenleaf Hospitality Group.

"We proudly support this new opportunity spearheaded by Catalyst Development that will add to Birmingham's already rich culture and quality of life," he added.

Zazios has been open at its colorful and modern Birmingham location since July 2010. The star of Zazios, besides its views of Woodward Avenue, was the 24-seat Chef's Table, which surrounds a kitchen stage where a chef fixed a meal every night.

"Although Birmingham has a lot of great restaurants, I don't think they have what I call a serious restaurant large enough to hold parties," Matt Schellig, then Zazios executive chef, told Patch in January 2011. 

Since its opening, Zazios has been an active part of the Birmingham dining scene, hosting holiday parties and participating in Birmingham Restaurant Week.

According to the release from Greenleaf Hospitality Group, more details will be released as they become available on what will fill the space.