Zed Wondemu
Restaurateur
Zed's
Georgetown - Washington, DC
Zed Wondemu has entertained some of America's greatest legends in all fields of human endeavor. Her restaurant Zed's Cuisine located in Georgetown is a regular stop for Washington DC's Politicians, Senators, Congressmen and other elected officials.
Among her notable guests are:
President & Mrs George Bush
Senator Hillary Clinton (NY)
New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani
US Attorney General Janet Reno
Minority Leader Senator Harry Reid (NV)
Speaker of The House
Dennis Hastert (IL)
Congressman Bill Young (FL)
Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Apart from locals, Hollywood movie stars and sport figures also visit Zed's Cuisine when in town, some are:
Actor Clint Eastwood
Comedian John Leguizamo
Actor Chris Tucker
Actor Dan Ackroyd
Boxer Mike Tyson
Actor Dan
Apart from her Restaurant achievements, Zed Wondemu has participated in the National Restaurant Association (restaurant.org) and done a lot of work to get Ethiopian Americans organized on the US state & federal political scene in terms of encouraging voter turn out and political donations. She serves as the president of EthioPAC the first Political Action Committee registered with the Federal Election Committee.
Articles on Zed Wondemu :
 Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Social Security
of the House Committee on Ways and Means
"
Statement of Zed Wondemu, Owner, Zed's Ethiopian Cuisine in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.,
on behalf of the National Restaurant Association
Hearing on Improving Social Security Work Incentives February 15, 2000.
Mr. Chairman and members of this subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the impact of the Social Security earnings test. My name is Zed Wondemu and I own and operate Zed's Ethiopian Cuisine in Georgetown. This issue has long been a frustration of mine and it is my sincere hope that you, as lawmakers, will eliminate the earnings test and allow more older Americans to work without fear of losing their benefits.
I know that when people think of restaurant employees they think of younger adults. But as the nation's largest private-sector employer, the foodservice industry also employs tens of thousands of individuals between the ages of 65 and 70.
Although I am testifying today on behalf of the National Restaurant Association, I am here to tell my own story. Because as a small businessperson, I see firsthand how the Social Security earnings test changes the choices people make.
My restaurant, which offers excellent cuisine with quality service, employs only ten individuals. Clearly, I rely on the quality of employees, not the quantity , to uphold my restaurant's reputation. I take great pride in the fact that, for several years running, my restaurant has been recognized by Washingtonian Magazine as "one of Washington's 100 very best restaurants."... read more >>
Business Week
Wooing the Worker -
Inflation makes a comeback as bargaining power shifts to labor
" ...
Corporate lobbyists are also appealing to Washington for help. Congress is expected to help high-tech companies by opening the spigot for immigrants with technical backgrounds. Low-tech employers such as hoteliers and restaurant owners already got relief in April with the repeal of a Depression-era law capping how much retirees can earn before losing their Social Security.
That new law enabled Washington restaurateur Zed Wondemu to bring aboard some older workers as summer help for her Ethiopian restaurant. And she ended her search for a manager of a small apartment building she owns by hiring a 69-year-old tenant who had previously rebuffed her offers because of the Social Security cap. ''Thanks to science, our life expectancy is longer and people have the energy to work. So why not hire them?'' asks Wondemu. ..." read more>>
National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Welcomes Three New Trustees
09-09-2005
National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
Welcomes Three New Trustees
CHICAGO - The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) is honored to welcome five new Trustees to its Board for the 2005-2006 term. Marilyn Benson , senior vice president, partnership management, Diners Club International; Rob Gifford , executive director, Michigan Restaurant Association; Sandy Solmon , founder, president and CEO, Sweet Street Desserts; Zed (Zewditu) Wondemu , president, Zed's, Inc.; and Kevin Yost , senior vice president, customer & business solutions, Swift & Company have joined the NRAEF Board of Trustees, which comprises prominent leaders of the restaurant and foodservice industry to help advance the industry's initiatives.
"We are thrilled to welcome these five distinguished industry leaders to the NRAEF's Board of Trustees," said Ferdinand E. Metz, CMC, chairman of the Board of Trustees. "They bring tremendous experience and vision to the Board, and their participation further enhances our industry's position as the cornerstone of career-and-employment opportunities. Their input will undoubtedly help enhance the NRAEF's three key strategic priorities of risk management, recruitment, and retention."...
Born in Ethiopia, Zed (Zewditu) Wondemu has been involved in the restaurant and foodservice industry for many years. Wondemu is president of Zed's Incorporated, which includes a Georgetown restaurant -- Zed's Ethiopian Cuisine, a variety of gift and lobby shops around Washington, DC and also Zed's Properties. Wondemu was past chairman of the board of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington DC and was co-chair of the Greater Washington Hospitality Foundation. Currently, Wondemu serves as board director of the National Restaurant Association and resides in the Georgetown area of Washington, DC... read more>>
Zeds Ethiopian Cuisine
1201 28th St NW
Washington, DC 20007 |
