Fresh from re-establishing the Zoës Kitchen brand in Crestline, the Cassimus family decided it was time for the family patriarch to also have a restaurant bearing his name.
That restaurant, called Marquis Kitchen, is now open in Cahaba Heights, with an official ribbon cutting taking place on Wednesday, May 29th at 11 a.m.
Marcus and Zoë Cassimus have been in the restaurant industry since 1995. Their entrepreneurial spirit began with the opening of the first Zoë's Kitchen in Homewood, and has been passed down to their son, John, who has launched businesses such as Maki Fresh, Jinsei and Miss Dot's Kitchen (now Craft's on Church Street).
“Helping my father open a restaurant and putting my father's name on the marquee will be one of the highlights of my life,” John Cassimus said in a press release. “I've seen my mother's name on the steps of the New York Stock Exchange, and now it's my father's turn.”
Marcus Cassimus said the menu at Marquis' Kitchen features many familiar family recipes, as well as the smashburger, “one of my favorite dishes.”
The new burger is served with grilled onions, cheese, pickles, “Marquis Sauce” and crispy shoestring fries, while other menu items include pita bread sandwiches, roll-ups, kebabs and sides like chicken marinara, hummus, coleslaw and pasta salad.
“We are special [called The Smash Special]”That's two smashburgers and fries for $12.99. We know it's hard to eat out and things are crazy expensive, so we want to be able to offer that,” John Cassimus said. [to our customers]. “
The family's famous chocolate cake is also on the menu at Marky's Kitchen.
The restaurant opened in the former Local Roots restaurant location on Cahaba Heights Road.
“We knew that Crestline has a great following and there was a great opportunity with the space already built here. [in Cahaba Heights] “It was ready to go and we jumped at the opportunity,” John Cassimus said.
The store has a drive-thru, but it will instead be used as a pick-up window.
“This is perfect for customers who are on the go or need to grab lunch in a hurry. We make all of our items fresh so you can order online at least 15 minutes in advance and then pick it up from the window,” John Cassimus said.
Now, the Cassimas are excited about expanding their business in Cahaba Heights, but they can't say they won't expand the brand.
“We intend to expand into the Birmingham area when the right opportunity and timing arises,” John Cassimus said.
Marky's Kitchen is located at 3134 Cahaba Heights Road and is open daily from 10am to 8pm, order ahead for pick up at the drive-thru window at markyskitchen.com.
