Zorbaz well-known name in lakes country

• Jerilyn Sheryak

Jerilyn Sheryak has worked at Zorbaz on Pelican Lake since she was 18. Now 30 and the owner of the restaurant and bar, Sheryak views the business as a major source of lakes fun for families and night owls alike. By Dave Olson/The Forum

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FARGO — Growing up near Perham, Minn., the Zorbaz on Little Pine Lake was a memorable part of the lakes experience for Jerilyn Sheryak.

When she was 18, Sheryak landed a job at the Zorbaz on Pelican Lake, working in the kitchen.

Now 30, she is the owner of the restaurant and bar whose name has become ubiquitous in lakes country.

Zorbaz has nine locations in Minnesota and a 10th will open soon on Green Lake near Spicer.

“I am absolutely passionate about this place. We’re like the foundation of the lakes fun,” said Sheryak, a partner in the company started by Tom Hanson in 1969, when the first Zorbaz opened in Detroit Lakes.

Sheryak said Hanson is still deeply involved with the company and instrumental in finding new sites.

Hanson’s son, Cole, is now the president of Zorbaz and oversees the company’s overall operation, according to Sheryak, who became owner/operator of the Pelican Lake location in 2004.

The third Zorbaz restaurant after Detroit Lakes and Little Pine, the Pelican Lake site opened in 1987 on what used to be the Froelich Marine property.

“A majority of our guests come from Pelican Lake and then Cormorant, Ida and Lida,” Sheryak said, rattling off the names of nearby lakes.

The restaurant is a stone’s throw from Pelican Lake, where the restaurant owns a large dock complex that accommodates 21 boats and is essentially a floating parking lot.

“What’s cool about Zorbaz, we’re not just a bar. We’re so family and kid friendly,” said Sheryak, adding that family time begins in the morning and runs until 10 p.m., when the place turns into “Club Zorbaz,” with music and dancing.

While the Detroit Lakes restaurant is open year around, the Pelican Lake Zorbaz operates six months out of the year.

“We open May 1 and end the year with a big Halloween bash,” said Sheryak.

The peak of the summer season is July 4, a time Sheryak likes to refer to as “Super Bowl week.”

Since becoming owner in 2004, Sheryak said she has seen firsthand the loyalty of her guests.

“The ones that were coming in to drink beer, now they’re here during the day, with their family and kids,” Sheryak said, adding, “It’s all about making great memories.”

Olson reports for Forum Communications Co., which owns the Herald.

Tags: pelican lake mn, updates, news, zorbaz, bars, restaurants, food