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ful look to see what would be nec-
essary to start a viable kosher
restaurant," he said. "I would love
to be able to say that we have a sit-
down restaurant. But I don't think
it could make it in Detroit on its
own. The kosher consumers here
aren't numerous enough to support
a restaurant like that."
Besides visiting every major
coney island chain in the area, Mr.
Rabinowitz also spent time in
kosher delis around the country,
including Kosher Delight in New
York.
"I saw what they were doing, and
it is dear that they appeal to every-
one," said Mr. Rabinowitz. "So, it is
critical that we're known as another
restaurant in the community to at-
tract everyone here."
PH OTOS BY DANIEL L IPPITT
PHIL JACOBS
EDITOR
teve Rabinowitz has sipped
a lot of pop in more than his
share of metro area coney is-
lands. That says a great deal
about a man who observes
the laws of kashruth.
For instead of eating the
food, Mr. Rabinowitz was di-
gesting everything else about
the restaurants he could —
the way they were designed;
the upholstery on the booths;
the setup of chairs; how peo-
ple moved through the or-
dering area; and the kinds of
foods served.
For 15 years, Mr. Rabinowitz
toyed with the idea of a kosher
coney island. With the closure of
Sara's Glatt Kosher Deli, the idea
accelerated.
are still challenges Mr. Rabinowitz
admittedly needs to work on.
When Classic Coney Island gets
busy, the ordering area becomes
congested. Customers are waiting
for their orders to be filled, and
sometimes those orders are in-
complete. There are still occasion-
al requests for a cheeseburger from
non-kosher clientele, but the Clas-
sic Coney Island staff patiently ex-
plain that dairy products are not
available. The biggest complaint,
however, seems to be the conges-
tion.
Mr. Rabinowitz opened the doors
without announcement on Dec. 22.
He and his brother-in-law, Pinny
Sheiner, who helps run the restau-
rant, expected 40 or 50 customers
that Friday, Saturday night and
Sunday. Instead, they fed some 300
people.
"I'm not satisfied with the pace
I'm able to accomplish," he said.
"I'm looking to expand the menu
more and make a few more physi-
cal improvements. But the com-
munity support has been there.
We're getting customers from the
kosher and non-kosher communi-
ties. I wouldn't say that we have
had every rabbi in town eat here,
but I'd be hard-pressed to name
those who haven't."
He added that there's a feeling
of support, because people "want it
to work. They want to have a place
they can go out and eat kosher."
Mr. Rabinowitz is planning on
expanding the menu to include oth-
er platters to facilitate older cus-
tomers who might not be interested
in fast-food sandwiches like ham-
burgers. He is also hoping to open
every Saturday night after the Sab-
bath, even into the summer
months.
He is also hoping to serve the
families of dual-wage earning par-
ents who are tired and are looking
for convenience.
"My goal here is not just to throw
food on a plate and give it out," he
said. "I want people to be satisfied
and happy and to have fun. Yes,
we're kosher, and we know we're
kosher, and the kosher consumer
knows we're kosher. But we're mar-
keting ourselves not as a kosher
restaurant, but as a coney island
restaurant. And that's how we will
succeed."
Left: Steve Rabinowitz prepares another
"classic" dish.
Below: Customers line up on a crowded
Sunday evening.
Today, Classic Coney Island, a
kosher fast-food restaurant, has re-
placed Sara's at the same 10 Mile
and Greenfield location.
Mr. Rabinowitz, whose experi-
ence is in designing restaurant
kitchens, is hoping Classic Coney
Island will draw in non-kosher as
well as kosher clientele.
The restaurant serves up salads,
burgers, coney dogs and platters.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rabinowitz can be
seen patrolling the food area, ask-
ing customers what they like and
dislike.
"After Sara's closed, I took a care-
Still, he added, if kosher con-
sumers make use of the restaurant,
it is because they can afford the
food. And that, he said, is the deli-
cate balance he is working with.
Mr. Rabinowitz took the former
Sara's and opened it up dramati-
cally, giving the eating area an
open, airy feeling. The wall was tak-
en down between the kitchen and
the customer, so that food is pre-
pared in full view. A restaurant
with cleaner design lines and a
touch of neon is what the consumer
will see.
With the improvements, there
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