Tim Zagat and Nina Zagat

Tim Zagat is the co-founder, co-chair and chief executive officer of Zagat Survey®, the world's leading provider of consumer survey-based dining, travel and leisure information.

Zagat Survey was launched in 1979 as a hobby by Tim and his wife Nina, who started to rate restaurants through surveys. The Survey became so popular that it rapidly developed into a full-time publishing enterprise.

Following their initial success in New York City, the Zagats expanded their concept in the mid-1980's to cover dining scenes in other markets, later adding hotels, nightlife, movies, golf, shopping and a range of other entertainment resources.

In 2000, the Zagats were recognized as Entrepreneurs of the Year by both Ernst & Young and Harvard Business School, and were inducted to New York University's Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2001. They are also inductees of the Hospitality Hall of Honor and members of the James Beard Who's Who in Food & Beverage.

Tim has served in various prominent, civic, cultural and charitable capacities over the years – most recently for three years as the chairman of NYC & Company, the official marketing, promotion and tourism arm of New York City. He is currently a board member and vice president of Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP).

Tim earned an L.L.B. from Yale Law School in 1966 and a B.A. from Harvard College in 1961.


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Nina Zagat is the co-founder and co-chair of Zagat Survey®, the world’s leading provider of consumer survey-based dining, travel and leisure information. Along with her husband Tim, Mrs. Zagat oversees the global expansion of the company into new US and international markets, leisure categories and additional platforms for content, including its web and wireless ventures.

Mrs. Zagat was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Harvard Business School (2000); one of the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World by the Star Group (2001); and one of Crain's list of Top Tech 100, featuring New York City’s most influential people in technology (2001). In addition, both Tim and Nina Zagat were recognized as Entrepreneurs of the Year (2000) by Ernst & Young and were inducted into New York University’s Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame (2001). Mrs. Zagat was also named one of Crain’s New York 100 Most Influential Women (2007).

In addition to her role at Zagat Survey, Mrs. Zagat spent 24 years as an attorney at the distinguished Wall Street law firm, Shearman & Sterling. While there, she worked in the Individual Client Group where she specialized in providing legal services to high net worth individuals.

Mrs. Zagat also attended Le Cordon Bleu Ecole de Cuisine; is a member of the corporation for the Culinary Institute of America; served on the White House Conference on Travel and Tourism; and is a member of the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.

Mrs. Zagat earned an L.L.B. from Yale Law School and a B.A. from Vassar College in 1963. She has been married to Tim Zagat since 1965. They have two sons, Ted and John.