Zdenko Zovkic's Biography
Zdenko Zovkic has a keen eye for "opening new doors" of opportunity. As a matter of fact, given his entrepreneurial instincts, edgy style and European sensibility you might say he is a natural at the hospitality game.
Born in Croatia, Zdenko Zovkic spent most of his childhood (1971-1996) in the charming European town of Cologne, Germany. His vocation in the restaurant and hospitality industry began with a three year apprenticeship focusing on all food & beverage outlets at the Intercontinental Hotel, Cologne. He furthered his training by participating in a one-year hotel management program in Cologne. Within a few years, Zdenko became the Maitre d' of La Vita an Italian fine dining restaurant. Now fully smitten with the service and hospitality, he was eager to branch out and focus on new opportunities. Fluent in three languages and motivated by real life experience, Zdenko joined family members in Cleveland in 1996 to develop his career in the hospitality industry and eventually opening his own restaurant.
Soon after arriving in Cleveland, Zdenko joined the team behind the opening of the Spy Bar in downtown Cleveland. This would be the first of many doors he would open during his Cleveland career. After a brief managerial post in dining room of the upscale Shoreby Club, Zdenko accepted a General Manager position with Circo Zibibbo in Cleveland's trendy Warehouse District. As opening manager, Zdenko established a new set of standards for sophisticated dining in downtown Cleveland. The restaurant was sleek, trendy and well received.
In 2000, Zdenko joined the The Ritz-Carlton organization as assistant director of Food & Beverage in Cleveland. Within a few months, he was promoted to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Aspen to work on the opening of the new Aspen property. With another opening under his belt, Zdenko returned to Cleveland to open his own restaurant Seasons, an upscale restaurant on the eastside town of Bratenahl. Through it all, he kept his eye on Cleveland's downtown restaurant scene – more specifically on a highly-visible location on the corner of West 6th and St. Clair in the Warehouse District.
In summer 2003, Zdenko made his move. On September 18th after almost one year of negotiations, 6 weeks of renovations, two weeks of training and 3 days dry runs, Zdenko opened yet another door of opportunity; a stylish restaurant called XO. The restaurant features a sophisticated lounge with a zebra wood bar and a wall covering custom-made using 2,000 strands of stainless steel beads. The dining room is divided into two sections both accentuated by dramatic candlelight, stylish furnishings and rich European fabrics. XO also features a private dining room for up to 35 guests for private or corporate dining. The menu featured contemporary American cuisine with a European flare. It became the standard bearer for trend setting dining in Cleveland's Warehouse district. After one year and a half of success Zdenko decided to build on the plateau of XO and transformed it into XO PRIME STEAKS an all prime steak concept. To quote Gordon Blue, the food critic for Chagrin Falls Times and Currents Magazine, "daring and with great vision, Zdenko turned something already very good into something even better. The best steak house dining in town".
Zdenko lives in Cleveland and has a son Ivan.
