Founders of top-selling guide turned customers into critics

When world-famous restaurant critics Tim and Nina Zagat took the microphone yesterday, they began with what they know best -- a survey.

Right off the bat, the entrepreneurs asked the standing-room-only crowd to rank the topics they wanted to hear, ranging from the development of the restaurant business to the legalities of the publishing industry.

University President Judith Rodin, a friend of the Zagats and responsible for bringing them to Penn, introduced the lecture.

"I guess nothing draws a crowd like food," she said, noting the roughly 100 students in attendance.

The Zagats discussed the basis for their now best-selling restaurant guide, to which over 200,000 restaurant-goers currently submit volunteer reviews, critiquing restaurants in 120 cities world-wide.

The consensus of the audience was simple: they wanted to hear the Zagats' story.

"It wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been drinking," Tim Zagat admitted. "It was really the tenth glass of wine that did it."

Tim and Nina Zagat told their success story together, literally, talking in unison sometimes and playfully interrupting each other constantly.

But their message still came across clearly -- ordinary people were eating in restaurants so ordinary people needed to be the ones critiquing them.

"It seemed to me if you had 100 people sharing their ideas about a restaurant it was better than just one," Tim Zagat said.

"We empower people to make their own decisions," Nina Zagat added. "We just provide them with the tools."

Fox Leadership Program Assistant Director Charles Brutsche said the Zagats proved that, "if you look at something a little differently and tweak it to your own interests, you can make a career out of it."

The Zagats emphasized this message throughout their talk.

"If you do something because you love it, you end up being really good at it," Tim Zagat said.

Students gave the lecture rave reviews.

"I loved it," College sophomore Etty Lewensztain said, adding "I always used the product but never understood the logistics behind it. It was awesome to hear about the process first-hand."

Other audience members found the Zagats' enthusiasm inspirational.

"In this pre-professional school environment, it's great to be reminded that passion is still the true ingredient for a successful life," College graduate and Penn Center for Community Partnerships employee Margaret Yen said.

The Zagats ended their speech with a few words of wisdom for up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

"In business and in life, you never know what's going to be around the next corner," Nina Zagat said. "You have to know what your vision is, but be flexible."

The Zagats' talk was sponsored by the Fox Leadership Program.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.