Moms to Know: Margaret Zakarian, CEO of Zakarian Hospitality

Her South Tampa home is quiet when Margaret Zakarian awakens at 5 a.m. The CEO of Zakarian Hospitality, wife of celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian, and mother of three children (11-year-old George, 16-year-old Anna and 18-year-old Madeline) uses the alone time to exercise, catch up on the news and get a head start on work before the morning rush begins. 

Getting the kids off to school is followed by a packed workday. Overseeing strategy for her company’s three divisions — entertainment, products and hospitality — brings a daily slew of Zoom meetings, incoming calls, texts and emails. “Mom duties” resume in the afternoon with school pick-up, cheering on the kids at sports games, then returning home, where sitting down together for a family dinner is non-negotiable. 

It's a busy, wonderful life in Tampa, where the Zakarians are proudly putting down roots. 

MR: When did you move to Tampa, and why did you and Geoffrey choose it as your home base?  

MZ: We moved in the summer of 2020. During COVID, we thought it would be a great place to bring the children, as I grew up here and have family here as well.  

MR: How do you see the area growing, and how do you hope to contribute to that growth? 

MZ: Since the ‘80's, there has been a population influx to the Tampa Bay area, steadily growing, and since 2020, it has been supercharged. A larger population brings more economic opportunity, more interest and more investment into the region. As well, all of the industries that support people's daily lives, like restaurants, doctors and stores, inevitably increase in count and viability to serve the needs of the community. It is a powerful flywheel that keeps gaining additional steam and raises all boats. 

If, through our company, we can bring positive awareness to the area, this could help attract additional creative types, masters of different trades and entrepreneurs, which then supercharges the output of the area to have a wide and diverse impact, even beyond Florida. Tampa is poised to be an even more serious player on the national stage, and it is exciting to watch this city transform. 

MR: What are some of the Zakarian family’s most-loved things to do in Tampa?  

MZ: I love taking the kids to museums! Even if they don’t initially always want to go, they are always happy when we are there. I take paper and a set of colored pencils along, and they pick a piece to draw. Favorites include The Tampa Museum of Art, The Dali (the Spanish cafe here is great!) and The James.  

Seeing shows at The Straz is at the top of our list, and, as a foodie family, we love to check out new restaurants and food stores — a recent find is Bamboozle — and going to shop at Mazarro's is always a fun outing. I let the kids pick out whatever they want, and we come home and try it all out. Try this: Buy three different types of prosciutto from Mazarro's and do a taste-testing session at dinner that night.  

MR: What’s your secret to juggling career and family life? 

MZ: I heard somewhere recently that there is no such thing as “work-life balance.” It just is what it is —usually out of balance — and as a mom, you do your best each day. It's impossible to chase something that can never be perfectly balanced, so each morning you put one foot in front of the other and have a plan to tackle what is on your plate that day.  

Thinking of things that personally help alleviate mom-guilt and planning ahead for those helps, too. For example, having a proper snack ready at pick-up makes me feel like I'm winning that day, so I try to leave extra time in my schedule to make something or have the time to get something on the way to pick-up.  

I am sure every mom has a few things that make them feel great. Think of what it is and diligently plan the time to make it happen.  

Another mom-hack that Erika Bloom, a Pilates teacher in NYC, taught me is to leave every other Friday with no appointments or meetings because it is inevitable something will come up with one of the children on a random day, and it gives you a free day on your schedule to move your things to. It's genius, and it works. Consider it a catch-all day.  

MR: This month is Valentine’s Day. What’s your idea of the most romantic way of celebrating?  

MZ: Staying home and cooking! After having our own restaurants for years, we avoid going out on Feb. 14, or if we do go out, we try to gather a group of friends to make a larger table. Last year, our daughters were out with their boyfriends, so George and Geoffrey teamed up to serve me dinner. Geoffrey cooked, and George was the server. It was one of the most memorable Valentine's to date.  

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*Originally published in the February 2026 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.