A Tradition That Tastes Like Home: 85 Years of Zorn’s of Bethpage
This year marks a remarkable milestone for Zorn’s of Bethpage, a family-owned institution that has been a cornerstone of the Long Island community for 85 years. Known for its commitment to farm-to-table quality and time-honored recipes, Zorn’s continues to blend tradition with taste, offering generations of families a place where great food and warm memories go hand in hand.
“We’ll be celebrating all year,” says owner Merrill S. Zorn-Jensen, granddaughter of Peter Zorn. Zorn opened the retail shop in 1940 to provide wholesome, made-from-scratch meals from the freshest ingredients for busy families to take home, creating one of New York’s first take-out services.
The yearlong celebration will feature a special 85th anniversary book highlighting Zorn’s rich history, cherished memories, and community stories, along with a second edition anniversary cookbook filled with favorite recipes contributed by staff, family, friends, and loyal customers.
A New Home with an Eat-In Option
In 2019, after her father passed away, the 4-acre property was divided among siblings. Zorn-Jensen built a new store on the one-acre she retained. She continued to operate the business in their original location next door while their new home was being constructed. “We couldn’t afford to close, so we stayed open while we were building and then moved to our new home once it was complete,” Zorn-Jensen says.
A tribute to the original shop, the new store retains much of the same layout: the cash registers are on the left and the retail section is on the right. “We added a small dining room with seating for about 20 guests, along with restrooms,” says Zorn-Jensen, explaining that these updates were made in response to customer requests.
The space is rich with memorabilia from the original store, including the old cooler door, chicken pen door, a vintage freezer door, the iconic swinging doors from station seven, their first chicken sifter, and so much more.
“When my grandfather first started making Southern fried chicken, he used a box with a screen on the bottom to sift the breaded pieces— I’ve kept that too,” Zorn-Jensen adds with pride.
Traditional Family Recipes
Despite the updated look, Zorn’s is still serving the same time-tested, homecooked dishes. “All of our food is made using the same recipes. Our chicken pot pie, southern fried chicken, rotisserie chicken and the sides: potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, were from the 50s and they’re still the same recipe. Also, our rice pudding , chicken salad, and carrot salad,” Zorn-Jensen says, adding, “Our food is still made in small batches,” Zorn-Jensen says. “Mashed sweet potatoes and garlic mashed potatoes are made all day long.”
In addition to recipes that go back decades, every few years Zorn’s adds new items to the menu that become very popular, like their spaghetti and meatballs. “Our meatballs are the best,” says Zorn. “And they’re even better with our delicious, homemade sauce.” Other new customer favorites are onion rings, sweet potato fries, egg salad and tuna salad. There are also seafood offerings, including shrimp and cod, as well as homemade seafood salad.
The sandwiches include the Kirby, a breaded chicken breast sandwich on a potato roll with cucumbers – also available in a spicy version, the Butt Kickin’ Kirby, and The Boss, made with real roasted turkey breast, lettuce, tomato, and our homemade garlic mayonnaise. “We roast our own garlic in the oven and make a garlic mayonnaise,” Zorn-Jensen says. “We also use that roasted garlic in the mashed potatoes.”
Zorn’s has consistently won the Best of Long Island and has been recognized along with other local awards, for their southern fried chicken, chicken pot pies, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, barbeque ribs, and their trusted catering menu.
Shop at the Marketplace
Customers can shop at Zorn’s marketplace retail shop for popular items like their own barbeque sauce, homemade dressings, pickles, local hand-packed ice cream (a customer favorite: if you know, you know!) and kitchen staples, like bread, milk, butter, eggs and more. “We still sell my grandfather’s original roasting spice,” Zorn-Jensen says.
For picnic lovers, there’s a “Picnic-to-Go” package for 3-4 people as well as a “Backyard Picnic” for 25 or more guests, which includes southern fried chicken, rotisserie chicken, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato and macaroni salads, coleslaw, apple pie and watermelon. You can also grab their Best of Long Island award-winning skinless southern fried chicken and create your own picnic!
“Everything we make is homemade,” notes Zorn-Jensen. “We still hand peel our potatoes and hand roll our dough for our award-winning chicken pot pies. That personal touch is in everything we do—and people can taste the difference.”
A Loyal Staff & Clientele
Zorn-Jensen is the last Zorn to work in the family business. However, a number of staff have been with the company for decades. Kathryn Onorata, Vice President and Zorn-Jensen’s best friend, has been with the company for 28 years; Cristobal Cifuentes, General Manager, 28 years; Carlos Ramires, their barbeque cook, has been with Zorn’s for 25 years; Nicole Canales, Catering Manager, 15 years; Tim Clapp, counter staff, for 10 years, and more! “Many of our customers are also like family,” says Zorn-Jensen.
As a Bethpage institution for nearly a century, Zorn’s has attracted a dedicated fan base, even serving multiple generations who love good, old fashioned, wholesome homemade cooking. “The endless elements of running a business – from staffing to procurement, keeping prices low and managing payroll – seem rather overwhelming. Then something happens that makes you realize why you carry on,” Zorn-Jensen remarks. “A woman came in with tears in her eyes. She said, ‘Thank you so much for being here. This is my one constant. I come back here and with all the crazy things going on in my life, this place never changes. It means so much to me to just to come back to something solid that is still just exactly the same.’ That kind of shakes you back into where you belong, and you think, ‘This is why I do it.’”
Another customer interaction also grounded Zorn-Jensen. “He said to me, ‘Zorn’s isn’t yours. It’s Long Island’s. It belongs to us. You may think you’re the owner, but you’re not,’” Zorn-Jensen says. “I said, ‘I’m good with that.’ I would take that all day long. It was so sweet.”
Zorn’s is located at 4231 Hempstead Turnpike, Bethpage, 516-731-5500; www.zornsofbethpage.com
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