Zach Erdem

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Zach Erdem
Born (1982-07-17) July 17, 1982 (age 43)
Erzincan, Turkey
Occupation(s)Television personality, restaurateur, hotelier, and entrepreneur

Zach Erdem (born July 17, 1982 [1] ) is a Turkish television personality, restaurateur, hotelier, and entrepreneur. [2] [3] He is an owner and partner [4] [5] in several Long Island-based restaurants, nightclubs, [6] and hotels including 75 Main Restaurant and Lounge [7] and Pop-Up by Rocco [8] in Southampton, New York. [9] Erdem and his staff appear on American reality television show [10] Serving the Hamptons. [11]

Contents

Personal life

Erdem was born and raised in Erzincan, Turkey to mother Seriban and father Gazi Erdem. He is the second youngest of six brothers. [12] He grew up in a remote mountain village in Turkey, where he worked long summer days farming with his family and shepherding animals from dawn to dusk. With no roads, electricity, or televisions, life was harsh and isolating, especially during the winters. He discovered a newspaper near a railroad showing pictures of New York City. He kept the page hidden for years, quietly nurturing a dream that seemed impossible. Against all odds, in 2002, he finally arrived in New York, turning the vision of his childhood into reality. [13]

Education

Erdem attended middle school in Erzincan and completed high school education in Istanbul. He then pursued higher education at the University of Edirne and received a Business Finance Degree in 2001. [14] The following year, he moved to the USA.

Career

In 2002, he left Turkey for New York with little money and no personal contacts. He was homeless and penniless until he was hired as a dishwasher. [15] He worked in the food service industry in various cities including Miami, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, eventually returning to New York, and settled in Southampton, NY, where he took job as a dishwasher at 75 Main Street Restaurant and Lounge. Working his way up through hard work and perseverance, he bought the restaurant in 2010. [16] The restaurant became a fixture in the Village of Southampton, [17] and has been featured on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Real Housewives of New York, and his reality show, Serving the Hamptons currently featured on HBO Max. [18]

Tastemakers such as Kelsey Grammer, [19] and Kendall Jenner [20] have bartended and launched their alcoholic beverage brands at this location. Celebrity patrons include Jay Z, Beyonce, Jenifer Lopez, Anthony Hopkins, Kim Kardashian, Courtney Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Serena Williams, Timothee Chalamet, Barbara Walters, Jon Bon Jovi, Jodie Foster, Ivana Trump, Howard Stern, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joe Bidden, Paris Hilton, Brooke Shields, Rapper 6ix9ine, Joel “The Process” Embiid, Anthony Scaramucci, John Catsimatidis, and Robert Kraft. [21] [22]

Erdem subsequently opened Pop-Up by Rocco, (formerly Blu Mar Restaurant), Harpoon House Hotel, and Main Room Nightclub at the same venue. During 2023 these ventures were followed by expansion to the North Fork, where Erdem opened the Mediterranean restaurant ZErdem, and ZEY Hotel, along with the restaurant and lounge, Café 75, [23] in Greenport, New York.

Restaurants and Hotels

Southampton, NY

75 Main Restaurant and Lounge 75 Main Southampton, NY. Opened in 2010. A popular upscale Hampton, NY restaurant and bar, opened in 2010, known for its trendy, contemporary atmosphere and celebrity sightings. [24]  

Pop Up by Rocco aka Blu Mar, aka Kozu: 136 Main Street, Southampton. A three Michelin star restaurant serving Italian coastal cuisine in the heart of the Hamptons, curated by award-winning Chef Rocco DiSpirito. [25] [26]

Hotel Harpoon House aka Hotel ZE: 136 Main Street, Southampton, NY. Historical boutique hotel with inspired Tulum design. The house, formerly known as the Old Post House, was originally built in 1648 and considered one of the first homes in the Village of Southampton. [27] [28]

Main Room aka Buddha Lounge: 136 Main Street, Southampton, NY. Upscale lounge, opened 2024. [29]

AM Nightclub: 125 Tuckahoe Lane, Southampton, NY. Celebrity night club, 2016-2020. [30]

Summer House Nightclub Lounge:256 Elm Street, Southampton, NY. Summer lounge, 2016-2019. [31]

Greenport, NY

ZErdem Hospitality: 314 Main St, Greenport, NY. Mediterranean and Greek restaurant specializing in local fresh produce and fish. [32]

Café 75: 441 Main St, Greenport, NY. American cuisine cafe offering breakfast and lunch. [33]

ZEY Hotel: 437-441 Main St, Greenport, NY. A stylish boutique hotel in the heart of Greenport. [34] [35]  

Serving the Hamptons Reality TV

The American reality television show [10] Serving the Hamptons. [11] premiered April 7, 2022 on Discovery+. Seasons 2 and 3 of the show were picked up by HBO Max, [36] its current streaming platform. The reality TV show features employees and patrons from his eateries and nightlife venues. [37] [38]

Philanthropic

Erdem’s charitable work includes partnering with local churches and not for profits to provide meals, supporting the earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, and contributing to schools, regional museums and animal rescue organizations. [39] [40] [41] [42] [43]

Quotes

“Change is good when you are in charge of it." [44]

“You have to imagine something special and then never stop building it. [45]

“God is always watching you and hard work and smart work pays off.” [46]

References

  1. "Zach Erdem, Owner of 75 Main, Is Living His American Dream". 27 East. 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  2. Erdem, Zach; Powers, Jenny (2021-06-26). "I own 2 Hamptons restaurants that have been booked solid for a month. People will do just about anything to snag a table, from flashing cash to pretending they know me". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  3. Peterson, Oliver (2022-03-04). "Serving the Hamptons: Zach Erdem's Dream Is Real at 75 Main". www.danspapers.com. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  4. "How restaurants in the Hamptons are adjusting to reopening guidelines". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  5. "Restaurant Workers Serve Up Drama at Iconic Southampton Eatery in Serving the Hamptons Trailer". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  6. "A Day in the Life of Zach Erdem, the Hamptons' Man of the Summer". Haute Living. 2016-06-17. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  7. "Zach Erdem: This Restaurateur Has Game At 75 Main". Hamptons.com. 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  8. https://hamptons.com/zach-erdem-on-renovations-and-why-75-main-is-always-open/
  9. Ballasy, Nicholas (2022-07-17). "Ivana Trump's Longtime Friend Says She Was 'Like an Angel' and Believes 'She Could've Been Saved' from Death". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  10. 1 2 "3 Apr 2022, T10 - The Miami Herald at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  11. 1 2 Maas, Jennifer (2022-02-14). "'Serving the Hamptons' Restaurant Docuseries About Staff at 75 Main Ordered at Discovery Plus (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  12. Haber7. "Edirne haberleri İş adamı eğitim aldığı üniversitede girişimciliğini anlattı - 09 Ekim 2018". Haber7 (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-11-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. "Serving the Hamptons: Zach Erdem's Dream Is Real at 75 Main". www.danspapers.com. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  14. Haber7. "Edirne haberleri İş adamı eğitim aldığı üniversitede girişimciliğini anlattı - 09 Ekim 2018". Haber7 (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-11-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. "Serving the Hamptons: Zach Erdem's Dream Is Real at 75 Main". www.danspapers.com. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  16. Casey, Eileen (2016-06-16). "Zach Erdem: This Restaurateur Has Game At 75 Main". Hamptons.com. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  17. "'Burn, baby burn': LI eatery owner torches table reserved by Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein". ABC7 New York. 2020-07-22. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  18. "No Second 'Serving,' Please | The East Hampton Star". www.easthamptonstar.com. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  19. "Kelsey Grammer Bartends with Faith at 75 Main in Southampton". www.danspapers.com. 2023-08-09. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  20. "Kendall Jenner is officially a bartender! The model served her tequila to fans while visiting the Hamptons". HOLA. 2021-08-17. Archived from the original on 2023-08-14. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  21. "Serving the Hamptons: Zach Erdem's Dream Is Real at 75 Main". www.danspapers.com. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  22. "Zach Erdem | Proprietor of 75 Main". natfluence. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  23. "Zach Erdem Debuts Zerdem Restaurant, ZEY Hotel on North Fork". www.danspapers.com. 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  24. https://www.danspapers.com/2021/04/power-broker-zach-erdem-75-main/#:~:text=Now%2C%20after%2011%20years%20of,best%20quality%20food%20and%20environments.
  25. Rocco, Pop-Up by. "Pop-Up by Rocco". Pop-Up by Rocco. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  26. Andrews, David (2023-03-04). "Zach Erdem on Renovations and Why 75 Main is Always Open". Hamptons.com. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  27. "Harpoon House Hamptons | Welcome to The Harpoon House Hamptons". www.harpoonhousehamptons.com. Archived from the original on 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  28. "An "Insider's View" of Southampton". 27 East. 2017-05-31. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  29. "Harpoon House Hamptons | Welcome to The Harpoon House Hamptons". www.harpoonhousehamptons.com. Archived from the original on 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  30. Braat, Sydney A. (2016-08-04). "New Hamptons Nightclub, A.M. Southampton, To Light Up The Rest Of Your Summer". Hamptons.com. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  31. "Southampton Social Club". www.southamptonsocialclub.com. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  32. "Zerdem Hospitality | Experience unparalleled comfort and luxury". www.zerdemhospitality.com. Archived from the original on 2025-04-04. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  33. "Exclusive | Hamptons restaurateur Zach Erdem expanding to North Fork". 2023-05-11. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  34. https://www.danspapers.com/2023/06/zach-erdem-opens-zey-zerdem-north-fork/
  35. https://www.zeyhotel.com/
  36. "Serving the Hamptons Moves to HBO Max, Season 2 Airing March". www.danspapers.com. 2022-12-14. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  37. "'Serving the Hamptons' focuses on high-end restaurant's staff". Newsday. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  38. Behr, Felix (2022-04-05). "The Truth About Zach Erdem From Serving The Hamptons Season 1". Mashed.com. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  39. "Jean Shafiroff / African American Southampton African America Museum's 2nd Annual Fundraiser". blacktiemagazine.com. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  40. Doroski, Simone (2022-11-29). "Southampton's Community Provides Over 475 Dinners To People In Need On Thanksgiving | Emperial Samaritan". emperialsamaritan.com. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  41. "Nassau County spearheading fundraising effort for earthquake victims in Turkey - CBS New York". www.cbsnews.com. 2023-02-15. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  42. Casey, Eileen (2016-06-16). "Zach Erdem: This Restaurateur Has Game At 75 Main". Hamptons.com. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  43. Trostle, Angela (2023-08-21). "NYC Second Chance Rescue Holds 2nd Annual Hamptons Benefit "Pawparazzi"". Impact Wealth. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  44. https://hamptons.com/zach-erdem-on-renovations-and-why-75-main-is-always-open/
  45. https://hamptons.com/zach-erdem-on-renovations-and-why-75-main-is-always-open/
  46. https://www.danspapers.com/2021/04/power-broker-zach-erdem-75-main/#:~:text=Now%2C%20after%2011%20years%20of,best%20quality%20food%20and%20environments