Tim and Nina Zagat Biography

Entrepreneurs, lawyers. In 1979, Tim and Nina Zagat (pronounced zuh-GAT) co-founded the Zagat Survey, an innovative and highly popular series of restaurant guides that now covers over 45 cities worldwide.

Prior to founding the Zagat Survey, both Tim and Nina had already embarked on highly successful legal careers. Both attended Yale Law School and after graduating, took positions at high-powered New York firms. It was in 1968, while posted at the Paris branch of their respective firms, that Tim and Nina began keeping a critical tally of Paris eateries for personal use. Upon returning to New York, the couple adapted the project to the local restaurant scene. By collecting reviews from friends and colleagues, they soon generated ratings for a core list of 75 restaurants. By 1979, what began as a hobby had evolved into a time consuming and costly project. The Zagats then decided to make their personal system public.

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.

Originally self-published, the Zagat Survey was an immediate success with food connoisseurs and laymen alike. The initial New York edition gave way to guides covering major cities in the U.S. and abroad. In 1987, the Zagats expanded their survey- based rating system to include spas, hotels and resorts, making their name synonymous with reliable critiques of the leisure industry.

Although the Zagats recently hired a CEO to take on many of the day-to-day issues of management, they remain intimately involved with the guides. Nina is personally responsible for new business development, and has taken advantage of recent technology to introduce Internet editions and downloadable guides for PDA’s.

Tim and Nina Zagat met while at Yale Law School and wed in 1965. They have two sons, Ted and John.

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