BUSINESS
•
Bertha Fischer checks her options for matzah at Farmer Jack/Dexter Davidson.
The first cold Passover cereal.
A New Look To Unleavened
Crispy-O's, whole wheat matzah
and gourmet California wines
enter the Detroit market for
Passover '89.
KIMBERLY LIFTON
Staff Writer
C
ereal lovers who
face withdrawals
each Passover no
longer need worry.
The first cold
cereal marked kosher for
Passover now is stocked in
grocery stores throughout
metropolitan Detroit.
Local grocery stores that
carry kosher for Passover pro-
ducts say Crispy-O's,
available from Manischewitz,
is selling well, despite its
high cost. Shaped like
Cheerios, Crispy-O's is double
the cost of ordinary cereals.
"It's progress," said Farmer
Jack Spokesman Gilbert Bor-
man. "This is the first major
breakthrough in Passover
products since chocolate chip
macaroons."
Robert Mann, vice presi-
dent of Manischewitz, said
the company has been trying
to develop a cereal for two
years. So far, Mann said,
grocery stores throughout the
United States have readily
accepted the product.
Mann declined to disclose
specific sales figures on the
60
FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1989
new product, but said the
company felt a cold cereal for
Passover was long overdue.
"We always try to give
customers new items for
Passover," said Victor
Iagnemma, general manager
for Shopping Center, adding,
"Crispy-O's are rather tasty."
Large grocery store
operators say the emphasis on
Passover foods is changing,
and they are trying to accom-
modate consumers with a
myriad of new products.
Other new grocery store
items for Passover 1989 in-
clude several table wines,
whole wheat matzah, a larger
selection of candies, shmura
matzah and fresh baked
goods.
Storeowners this year stock-
ed shelves with more than
traditional Mogen David,
Manischewitz, Carmel and
Kedem wines. More visible
are gourmet wines like white
zinfandel, chardonnay and
blanc stamped kosher for
Passover from California's
Sonoma and Napa Valleys.
"The emphasis on wines
has changed_ dramatically,"
said Gary Wald, merchandise
manager for Meadowdale
Foods, which operates the
Great Scott! chain. "Zin-
fandels and other table wines
are totally acceptable. This is
not a total departure from
tradition. People have just
branched out."
Most of the large stores
located in neighborhoods
where Jewish patrons shop
carry several products
specially marked for the holi-
day. These include seven
Great Scott! stores, 15-20
Farmer Jack/A & P stores,
two Shopping Centers and a
few Krogers.
A non-scientific consumer
shopping survey of five
popular Passover items from
four stores - Great Scott! at
Twelve Mile Road and
Evergreen in Southfield,
Kroger at Lone Pine and Or-
chard Lake Road in West
Bloomfield, Shopping Center
in the Orchard Mall in West
Bloomfield and Farmer Jack/
A & P in Lincoln Center in
Oak Park - showed that all
stores list competitive prices.
Based on the five items
selected, a box of matzah, .a
1.5 liter bottle of standard
wine, a 24 oz. jar of gefilte
fish, a 10 oz. can of macaroons
and a 16 oz. box of matzah
farfel, Farmer Jack/ A & P
was slightly lowest in overall
price and Shopping Center
was a bit more costly.
Other stores in the area, in-
cluding Borenstein's Book
and Music Store in Oak Park,
Spitzer's Hebrew Book and
Gift Center in Southfield and
Lakewood Specialty Food
Center in Oak Park also carry
Passover items. ❑
Passover Prices
ITEM
Matzah 12 oz. box
Streits
Manischewitz
Wine/1.5 liter
Carmel
Kedem
Mogen David
GREAT
SCOTT!
KROGER
SHOPPING
CENTER
FARMER JACK
A&P
$1.19
$1.19
$1.19
$1.35
$1.38
$1.22
$1.38
$4.19
$2.99
$2.99
$2.39
Mother's
Manischewitz
Rokeach
$3.99
$2.89
$3.79
$3.39
$3.29
$3.19
$2.88
$3.45
$3.45
Macaroons
all kinds 10 oz. can
Manischewitz
Rokeach
$1.89
$1.69
$.199
$2.33
Matzah Farfel
16 oz. box
Streit's
Manischewitz
$1.29
$1.29
$1.49
$1.57
$3.97
$2.39
$2.48
$1.98
Gefilte Fish 24 oz.
$3.55
$3.48
$1.99
$1.77
$1.28
$1.44