Zibanejad,
already an accomplished DJ
, owns Brödernas, which translates to "Brothers" in English, with his brother and another pair of brothers. They serve premium quality burgers and pizza in an upscale sports bar-type atmosphere at their eight locations in Sweden, with plans to open additional locations there and in Spain.
"Obviously I love food," he said. "It's fun to see people coming to your restaurant and liking the food. It's really simple in that sense, the concept. It's something you've seen before but hopefully you haven't eaten anything that good, so that's that we were going for."
Though he laughs at the notion of actually cooking himself ("Oh God no. That's why I have restaurants"), Zibanejad does get input on menu items by trying new dishes and providing feedback. He added that because his girlfriend is vegan, he's pitched the idea of having meat alternatives for the burgers so more people can dine at Brodernas. They already have gluten-free hamburger buns and pizza.
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And this year, after about three years in business, the restaurants now have Zibanejad's signature burger, the "93:an," which is one or two beef patties on a brioche bun with housemade mayo, lettuce, cheddar, and onions three ways; thinly sliced raw white onions, caramelized onions, and a large onion ring.
"When we tried it, you get everything together but I don't feel like anything takes over the other," he said. "It worked out really, really well. So we're happy about that. I tried it...I tried it a few times just to make sure it was good. It's probably one of the better burgers I've had."
The finishing touch was the charitable element. For every burger sold, they'll donate the equivalent of $1 to the women's national program in Sweden. In August, the
players boycotted in an effort to get fair compensation
and working conditions.
Zibanejad is friends with a few of the program's former players, including IIHF Hall of Fame member Maria Rooth. The two have known each other for many years and he gained additional perspective from her when they were TV analysts in Sweden for the IIHF World Championship in the summer.
Instagram from @zibanejad93: Stort tack alla inblandade för att ni gjorde denna upplevelse till den absolut bästa! Nu längtar jag tillbaka till isen! I wanna thank everyone involved for making this experience incredibly fun! I can't wait to be back on the ice again! @svtsport
Zibanejad previously donated the bonus he received when Sweden won the gold medal in the 2018 IIHF World Championship to girls youth hockey programs in Stockholm and held a hockey camp for underserved kids this summer. Though his support for women's hockey programs isn't new, his restaurant and burger provides Zibanejad the opportunity to bring attention to gender equality issues in sports and involve many more people in contributing to the cause.
"I felt that it was important because they don't get the same type of resources and that's too bad," Zibanejad said about his commitment to the women's national program. "And if you can help somehow and see the effect of doing something good that people want to go along with, it's nice. I just try to do my part and hope everything works out."
NHL.com International Correspondent Peter Ekholm contributed to this report.
