Tim and Nina Zagat
Encyclopedia
Nina Zagat, along with her husband Tim Zagat (Eugene Zagat) (b. 1940, New York City
), are the co-founders and publishers of Zagat Restaurant Surveys
, since 1982. They met in law school at Yale
, and were both practicing attorneys when they founded Zagat Surveys.
Shearman & Sterling
and was most notable for her role in the administration of the Seward Johnson
estate. Later they both got jobs in Paris
, he at office of the Hughes Hubbard law firm
and she at the Shearman & Sterling office. While there, they started compiling their own list of Parisian restaurants, of what they liked and didn’t like, and conceived the idea for a new type of restaurant ratings guide.
. The couple published their first guide in 1982. It was for New York City and it sold 7,500 copies in local bookstores. Two years later, it was selling at 40,000 copies per year and they quit their jobs as corporate lawyers to devote full-time to the enterprise.
The company expanded to include other cities and market segments such as hotels, stores and clubs; in early 2008, the couple tried to sell the company for $200 million, but then withdrew the sale when they could not find prospective buyers at that price. One reviewer wrote: "The Zagat Survey was once the sine qua non of restaurant guidebooks. Aside from a review in the paper, the survey's 30-point scale for food, service, and décor—and its quirky comments submitted by readers—was pretty much all that mattered to restaurateurs. While the book's ratings are still highly influential—and while the company remains highly profitable—the guide is no longer the indispensable possession it once was and it's clear that its influence has waned in recent years." The relative decline has been attributed to the company's "online strategy" which makes the guide only available to paying subscribers.
The couple have two sons, Ted and John, and live on the Upper West Side. They have also reportedly named each other as their favorite New Yorkers.
movie theater at 61st and Broadway in New York City
to watch the picture Dances With Wolves
. Seated in the same row to his left, there was a deranged man who had been making loud obscene comments before the movie began. During the middle of the picture, the deranged man walked right, and for reasons unknown, began stabbing Zagat, but an anonymous moviegoer pulled the attacker off of Zagat. The attacker fled out a side exit but was apprehended by police a few days later. Zagat, bleeding from superficial wounds, was taken to Roosevelt Hospital, and survived.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
), are the co-founders and publishers of Zagat Restaurant Surveys
Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey was established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979 as a way to collect and correlate the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, covering New York City, the Zagats surveyed their friends. As of 2005, the Zagat Survey included 70 cities, with reviews based on the input of...
, since 1982. They met in law school at Yale
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, and were both practicing attorneys when they founded Zagat Surveys.
Early life
The Zagats got married during law school, graduated in 1966, and moved to New York where they became corporate lawyers. She was an associate with the Wall Street white shoe firmWhite shoe firm
White shoe firm is a phrase used to describe the leading professional services firms in the United States, particularly firms that have been in existence for more than a century and represent Fortune 500 companies...
Shearman & Sterling
Shearman & Sterling
Shearman & Sterling LLP is a law firm headquartered in New York City with 20 offices located in major financial centers around the world founded in 1873. It is well known for both its litigation and transactional capabilities, especially in International Arbitration, Capital Markets, Finance, and...
and was most notable for her role in the administration of the Seward Johnson
John Seward Johnson I
John Seward Johnson I was one of the sons of Robert Wood Johnson I . He was also known as J. Seward Johnson, Sr. and Seward Johnson...
estate. Later they both got jobs in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, he at office of the Hughes Hubbard law firm
Hughes Hubbard & Reed
Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP , founded in 1888, is a law firm headquartered in New York City.The firm's history dates back to the late 19th century when it counted among its partners former Chief Justice of the United States Charles Evans Hughes.Hughes Hubbard was recently ranked first among law firms...
and she at the Shearman & Sterling office. While there, they started compiling their own list of Parisian restaurants, of what they liked and didn’t like, and conceived the idea for a new type of restaurant ratings guide.
Hobby becomes a business
When they returned to New York, they solicited the opinions of friends about New York restaurants, and the resulting compilation eventually became ZagatZagat Survey
Zagat Survey was established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979 as a way to collect and correlate the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, covering New York City, the Zagats surveyed their friends. As of 2005, the Zagat Survey included 70 cities, with reviews based on the input of...
. The couple published their first guide in 1982. It was for New York City and it sold 7,500 copies in local bookstores. Two years later, it was selling at 40,000 copies per year and they quit their jobs as corporate lawyers to devote full-time to the enterprise.
Zagat Survey
One reviewer described the methodology: "The philosophy behind the Zagat Survey is that instead of one lengthy critical review of a restaurant, the eating public is better served by a rating based on hundreds of responses. By tabulating the responses to detailed surveys, the Zagat Survey rates restaurants on a 30-point scale in the categories of food, décor, service and cost. It also provides price estimates and a pithy, paragraph-sized description."The company expanded to include other cities and market segments such as hotels, stores and clubs; in early 2008, the couple tried to sell the company for $200 million, but then withdrew the sale when they could not find prospective buyers at that price. One reviewer wrote: "The Zagat Survey was once the sine qua non of restaurant guidebooks. Aside from a review in the paper, the survey's 30-point scale for food, service, and décor—and its quirky comments submitted by readers—was pretty much all that mattered to restaurateurs. While the book's ratings are still highly influential—and while the company remains highly profitable—the guide is no longer the indispensable possession it once was and it's clear that its influence has waned in recent years." The relative decline has been attributed to the company's "online strategy" which makes the guide only available to paying subscribers.
Personal life
Zagat has been described as the "rumpled survey king" and has been criticized for "taking full advantage of his status at the top of the dining food chain, often stopping off sans reservation at the city's most popular restaurants, where, much to the chagrin of owners, he expects to be seated immediately and greeted personally by the chef."The couple have two sons, Ted and John, and live on the Upper West Side. They have also reportedly named each other as their favorite New Yorkers.
Stabbing incident
On November 15, 1990, Tim Zagat was sitting alone in the subterranean LoewsLoews Cineplex Entertainment
Loews Theatres, aka Loews Incorporated , founded in 1904 by Marcus Loew and Brantford Schwartz, was the oldest theater chain operating in North America until it merged with AMC Theatres on January 26, 2006. From 1924 until 1959, it was also the parent company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. The...
movie theater at 61st and Broadway in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to watch the picture Dances With Wolves
Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic western film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 book of the same name by Michael Blake and tells the story of a Union Army Lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a...
. Seated in the same row to his left, there was a deranged man who had been making loud obscene comments before the movie began. During the middle of the picture, the deranged man walked right, and for reasons unknown, began stabbing Zagat, but an anonymous moviegoer pulled the attacker off of Zagat. The attacker fled out a side exit but was apprehended by police a few days later. Zagat, bleeding from superficial wounds, was taken to Roosevelt Hospital, and survived.