About
Building Community through Food
In Chinese, Zao (早) means “good morning,” and ZaoZe (早则) loosely translates to “morning place.” While ZaoZe can be described as an Asian-inspired café and market, it’s also a gathering spot—a place to connect people, products, and culture through food. We serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with menus that feature comforting, snackable bites alongside a rotating selection of a la carte dishes. Our food and beverages carry a distinctive Asian slant, blending tradition with creativity. Beyond the café, our market offers a carefully curated mix of house-made goods and pantry staples. ZaoZe is more than a place to eat. It’s a space for community, whether you’re stopping in for a meal, a cafe beverage, or shopping the market. Come through. Be seen. Be fed. Be loved.
About Local
The reason everyone talks about locally sourced ingredients is simple: they taste better. Maine has some of the most flavorful, high-quality produce and seafood anywhere, and we’re lucky to have them right at our doorstep. Choosing local also means supporting our farms and fisheries, strengthening our community, and creating a more sustainable future. At ZaoZe Café & Market, we believe food is more than just fuel—it’s a source of joy, memory, and connection. We celebrate the pleasures of shared meals with family and friends, offering Asian-inspired ingredients and prepared foods that nourish both body and soul.
A Note from the Owners
We would like to re-introduce Emily Topaz, who has been part of our team since 2019, starting as a pastry chef, then running the entire kitchen, and now running all of ZaoZe as an owner. ZaoZe would not exist without her, and she is not only an amazing chef, but has a standard of excellence she applies to everything she does, and is just a wonderful person.
Stay safe. Eat well. Be kind.
Cecile & Cara Stadler
Emily Topaz