A Kosher Conundrum

number of people who are in dail y,
As for Classic Coney Island, he
but the problem is with people who said he has no idea why business
come in two or three times a is sluggish.
month," Mr. Rabinowitz said.
"I'm doing my share going there
He said 250 to 500 people p a- twice a week with my kids and my
PHOTO BY DANIEL LIPPITT tronize the restaurant every da
y. wife," Mr. Sharon remarked.
The monthly rent for th e Most of Mr. Rabinowitz's cus-
space, which is located in tomers are Jewish, but he still
the New Orleans Mall o n wonders why Conservative Jews
Ten Mile Road, west of who keep a kosher home do not
Greenfield, is $4,000. Fo r- frequent his restaurant.
tunately, Mr. Rabinowi tz
'We have them, but I'm sur-
said, his landlord has cu t prised we don't have more," he
him some slack.
said.
"He says he's not inte r-
Moving to another heavily Jew-
ested in seeing me go out of ish area like West Bloomfield isn't
business," he said.
an option either.
Attracting customers to
"People have suggested that I
a kosher restaurant is not move to Orchard Lake Road [in
a problem for Jerusalem West Bloomfield] or Harvard Row
Pizza, which is located [in Southfield], but the bulk of my
about a mile west of Classic customers are in this area. I don't
Coney, at Southfield Road think I'd do as well out there," Mr.
the nondairy menu, which features and Ten Mile.
Rabinowitz said.
everything from coneys to vege-
0-wnerAryeh Sharon said busi-
He also believes he advertises
tarian burgers, and began selling ness is "excellent" at the takeout,
the restaurant enough in the gen-
prepared foods by the pound.
which opened last July. He's also
And business was steady until been pleasantly surprised at how eral community.
`Traditionally, in Detroit, I can't
the Jewish High Holidays, which much catering he's been asked to
think of a time in my life when
he expected. But traffic hasn't do at area synagogues, he said.
there's been more than one restau-
picked up since the end of Sep-
I have no tables here. To be
tember, and that has contributed honest, I'm not interested in sit- rant to choose from. People — the
kosher community aren't in the
to his current financial crisis.
down restaurants. Secondly, the mindset of going out to eat," he
'We expected trade from kosher city of Southfield, before I took
consumers to fall off, but they fell over the building, told me it would said.
Yet, Mr. Rabinowitz added, "I'm
out of the habit of coming. It hasn't take four months for an answer
picked up to what it was before from the city whether I could have putting in the effort. rm here ty-
ing to make a living and provide
Tishrei (the first month of the Jew-
sit-down. And parking would be to the Jewish community what it
ish year). We have a significant a problem," Mr. Sharon said.
says it needs."

The owner of Detroit's only sit-down kosher restaurant is wondering
why more Jews aren't streaming in.

JULIE EDGAR SENIOR WRITER

S

teve Rabinowitz doesn't
Steve Rabinowitz:
want his financial woes
Seeking more
splashed all over the news-
Customers.
papers.
sidered the latter
After all, why should people care option and nixed
about the hardships of a propri- the idea, mainly
etor of a small eatery situated at because of the ex-
the corner of a mall in the heart of pense to custo-
the Orthodox community?
mers, who would
But Mr. Rabinowitz figured that be expected to tip,
if he asked area rabbis to "quiet- and staffing costs
ly nudge" their congregants to pa- for the restaurant.
tronize the area's only sit-down
"A lot of people
kosher restaurant, he might res- would love to have table service,
cue it from oblivion.
and I'd love to offer it. But would
At least one rabbi heard his changing- my format be ultimate-
plea. At Saturday morning ser- ly less or more successful than this
vices two weeks ago at Young Is- format? I'm not confident enough
rael of Southfield, Rabbi Elimelech to change the format," he said.
Goldberg- told his congregants that
However, he is considering serv-
Mr. Rabinowitz is four months be- ing breakfast if business picks up
hind on rent at Classic Coney Is- again.
land because business has dropped
Mr. Rabinowitz opened Classic
off. That led to an open discussion Coney last December in the spot
in which a few people remarked once occupied by Sara's, a kosher
that it takes too long to get a food deli. He said he was motivated by
order and that table service might a desire to serve up good kosher
lure more customers.
food at reasonable prices. In less
Mr. Rabinowitz, 45, already con- than a year, he added 40 items to

"

❑

COOGRATUALATIODS To THE In1011CRS
Or THE 1996 BOORTIR linutc

Barbara Gorzeck
Alice Cohen
Iry Lopatin
Ellen Dorshow-Gordon
Kathleen Kurland
Joseph Diamond
Gloria L. Weissler
Nancy Hoffman Collens
Rose Gordon
Ruth Lefkowitz
Elizabeth Gross
Susan Hollenberg
Mildred Newmark
Judith S. Milger

I

DETROIT

THE JEWISH NEWS

Lary Terebelo
-Sue Band
Lillian Bratt
Maxwell Miller
Reva Barahal
Dr. Harvey Beaver
Florence Maloff
Pauline Markman
Lilly Jacobson
Herman Fox
Miriam Gaba
David R. Drasnin
Mitch Bloom
Steven Levine

j r23-- -l

eeorr

Jewish Communiry Center

Bathing Safety For The Entire Family

More than 5,000 children are scalded by hot water in the tub each
year, according to the National Safe Kids Campaign, prompting manu-
facturers to respond with several engineering breakthroughs.
One innovation from Delta is the patented scald-guard pressure-bal-
ance valve that keeps water temperature within a safe ±1-3'F of initial
setting. This prevents temperature shocks from sudden pressure
changes in cold or hot water, whether a toilet is flushed or dishwasher
turned on, your shower is never interrupted.
A safety stop set at 100 degrees prevents children from accidentally
scalding themselves.
Almost all 50 states now require that these types of safety valves be
used in all new construction.
For more information, visit the area's newest bath showroom.

ADVANCE PLUMBING SUPPLY CO.

1977 W. Maple Road, Walled Lake (Between Haggerty & Decker Rds.)

(810) 669-7474

