Zum Zum
Zum Zum was a restaurant chain in New York City in the 1960s to the 1980s. The restaurants served German cuisine.
Joe Baum, the president of Restaurant Associates, opened the first branch of Zum Zum in the Pan Am Building in concert with the opening of the 1964 World's Fair. The restaurants were unique in offering only counter seating. The menu included a variety of German wurst and freshly smoked meats.
New York Times restaurant critic Craig Claiborne wrote about the food: "The Zum Zum's sausages, whether bauernwurst or a frankfurter, are well seasoned and with good texture. The sausage salad, on the other hand, is an interesting idea but disappointing in preparation. Like the restaurant's potato salad, it seems vitally lacking in ingredients that would elevate its character, chopped onion, for example, chopped pickle and more herbs such as parsley. It is too bland for one palate."
The Zum Zum logo featured a sausage in the shape of the letter "U". It was designed by George Lois and Kurt Weihs in 1963.
Zum Zum was mentioned in the 1974 Jobriath song "Scumbag," which in turn inspired a reference to "Zom Zom's" in the Gary Numan song "Down in the Park."
