PLANNING A PARTY? .aoe LET US AT BUDDY'S DO THE WORK! DISCOUNT PARTY PACKAGES AVAILABLE FOR GROUPS (10.75) CALL BUDDY'S NORTHWESTERN A Sweet Tooth Leads To Business Success 855.4604 ASK MANAGER FOR DETAILS TRY OUR NEW ITEMS: • TURKEY BURGER • TOMATO ALFREDO • CHARGRILLED CHICKEN SAND. • PASTA CRAB SALAD • STUFFED POT. SKINS • ETC. r r $2°° OFF ANY LARGE PIZZA, GREEK OR ANTIPASTO JN SALAD DINE IN OR CARRYOUT SEEN AT MARVIN'S LISTED IN WORLD ALMANAC'S 100 MOST UNUSUAL MUSEUMS STEVE FELDMAN, Internist; RICK LEACH, Toronto Blue Jays; JEFF ZAKS, Cardiologist; LYNN SILVERMAN, IN THE USA REMEMBER' WED NIGHTS ARE SINGLE PARENTS NIGHT DANNY RASKIN LOCAL COLUMNIST 1 Human Resource Development; CHUCK BERMAN, Mfgrs. Rep.; ARNOLD FISHER, Willoway Camp; BRIAN SCHUR- GIN, O.C.S. student; LARRY STEVENS, Camp Walden. I BIRTHDAY PARTIES • GIFT CERTIFICATES !SERVICE RENTAL 8c PRO S ORTHEIVIE PARTIES1 • 1 Coupon per Visit • Exp. 12-3-92 31005 ORCHARD LAKE RD. 626-5020 MON.-SAT. 10-10, SUNDAYS 12-8 L F:a:wing Acclaimed Chef Carlo Bruno C4ttic.- Entertainment "F•N(44' ITALIAN ACCENTED CONTINENTAL CUISINE Live Maine Lobster Prime Steaks 36470 Moravian Drive, (Just West of Garfield). \\..,.. Clinton Twp., MI 48035 Open For Lunch & Dinner Serving AUTHENTIC Thoi Food and Cocktails Bangkok Club Reservations 313-792-7200 • 11:30 am. to 10 p.m. Mon. Thru Thurs. • 11:30 o.m. to 11 p.m. Fri. • 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sot. I OPEN SUNDAY 5 p.m. TO 10 p.m. 29269 Southfield Road north of 12 Mile In The Southfield Commons 569-1400 H e comes home on Friday night and his wife has some candy for him . . . It's a week- ly Sabbath ritual that has been parlayed into a big business success story. Marty Benson admits to be- ing a chocoholic . . . and that Friday night source of delight was wife Sandy making her special white chocolate peanut and pretzel clusters. "Sandy must be missing a gene," he says. "She's genetically deficient not be- ing a big lover of chocolate" . . . Visitors to the Benson home aren't offered a drink or food snack, it's "what kind of chocolate would you like?" .. . He has a collection of whatever people want. When 4-year-old daughter Dana was born, Marty pro- claimed that she would have a piece of chocolate every evening . . . Being a former pharmacist, he knows that moderation is the best way to go and says a little bit doesn't do any harm . . . She now gets a piece of chocolate nightly before going to bed. If the portrayal is that of Marty's pockets always filled with chocolates and him con- tinually chewing on the goodies, wrong . . . There is no severity here . . . far from it . . . He is surrounded by can- dy all day long but has his treats at home. This is the first anniversary of American Gourmet in West Bloomfield Plaza, Orchard Lake Road south of Maple .. . and cause for reflection on a growth that keeps getting bigger. Sandy started making those chocolate goodies of hers at home just for Marty . . . then to satisfy requests of friends . . . Suddenly, she began getting calls from temples, did bar mitzvahs, etc., and the orders started pouring in so fast that Marty and Sandy had to have a kosher commissary for trays, baskets and loose candy. Marty already owned the American Bulk Food chain and son Mitch had turned their West Bloomfield store into a communal standout. Marty and Sandy began making baskets wholesale for Sanders at the American Bulk Food store in Dearborn, plus servicing department stores and the four American Bulk operations. From the first day of open- ing in West Bloomfield on Nov. 1, 1991, American Gourmet has been under the supervision of Rabbi Jack Goldman and his Metropoli- tan Kashruth Council of Michigan. Two or three trays daily was then considered a good start . . . but little did Marty or Sandy dream that a year later they would be making almost 300 trays a day plus an untold amount of items for department stores . . . And what began with but four baskets per day has grown in such leaps and bounds that in November they will make over 8,000 baskets! American Gourmet has seen such growth that expan- sion was an absolute necessi- ty . . . taking over an empty adjoining area a much-needed must . . . And shipping locally only is no more . . . Now Marty and Sandy send orders internationally as they pour in from everywhere. Former Detroiters run up heavy phone bills to call American Gourmet . . . It's their link to that wonderful Sanders hot fudge, among other things . . . To date, the Bensons have sold well over 100,000 jars . . . Their Michigan basket is a big seller and a wonderful taste of Detroit for relatives who have moved to other locales .. . From five Michigan baskets a week, the count is up to 2,000 a month . . . American Gourmet started with one type of Michigan basket and now has three varieties that include Sanders hot fudge, Vernor's ginger ale, Traverse City dried cherries, Franken- muth pretzels, Petoskey cherry preserves, St. Julian wines, Sandy's two new Sab- bath candies, one that Marty loves with a passion, the caramel, apple, cashews and chocolate cluster, plus her latest, dried apricot pretzels. The big want for kosher pro- ducts was quickly discoverd as people found it much more comfortable to give a kosher gift . . . Many orders for kosher trays and baskets come from non-Jews because of the health factor involved with vegetable oil used and not animal fat, for example. One of the biggest feathers in American Gourmet's cap was its recent acquisition of the highly popular Godiva Chocolates line . . . People previously had very few places to go for the elegant candy, but Marty and Sandy now have Godiva in every shape and form and boxes .. . At their West Bloomfield loca- tion, a completely separate setup with display counter has been installed solely for Godiva. They have trays of dried fruits and nuts for people with dietary restrictions and send many of these to hos- pitals so as not to conflict with the institutions' diet programs . . . There's even a basket for patients recuperat- ing from open heart surgery . . . 100% fat-free and filled with cookies, apricots, fig bars, crackers, etc., plus a fat- free hot fudge from Oregon What began with but four baskets per day has grown by leaps and bounds. they saw while vacationing in LaCosta, Calif. . . . Seven months ago, Marty and San- dy sent one of the fat-free baskets to a hospital . . . The next day, orders came in for eight more . . . Now they average 100 a day. American Gourmet's Design Center opens at 7 a.m. so business people can bring their logos, calling cards, etc. to be put into corporate baskets . . . Marty, Sandy and their staff take care of everything, including distribution . . . They now have seven computers to keep lists from year-to-year for clients. The Design Center can make a mold for anything within the wildest dreams and imaginations . . . and < there have been plenty .. . Among Marty and Sandy's weird requests was the $100 basket they recently made for a woman's dog . . . filled with every pooch treat imaginable (Coco would probably go crazy if he saw it!)