44 August 1 • 2019
jn
nosh
Business
As Usual
Kosher operations continue
despite Epicurean closure.
E
mployees and management
of the Soul Café and the Milk
& Honey and Epic Kosher
Catering companies were shocked to
receive an unceremonious email July
20 announcing they were no longer
employed by the Epicurean Group.
The Metro Detroit hospitality compa-
ny stated it was severing ties effective
immediately with everyone affiliat-
ed with the numerous restaurants
and catering operations under the
Epicurean umbrella.
“People started calling and asking,
‘
What’
s going on? Do I still have a
job?’
” said Shalom Shomer, director of
kosher operations for the Epicurean
Group, which includes Epic Kosher
Catering, Milk & Honey and Soul
Café.
The email from the Epicurean
Group indicated that management
would revert back to Stanley Dickson
Jr., who owned the company prior
to selling it to Ryan Moore last fall.
However, this turned out to be false.
Dickson, who is now retired, had no
interest in returning to the business.
Shomer’
s first call was to Rabbi
Levi Shemtov, executive director of
Friendship Circle of Michigan, which
sponsors the Soul Café and Milk &
Honey. Shemtov was already talking
with members of the organization’
s
board of directors, who agreed closing
the restaurant and catering businesses
was not an option. The group worked
through the night to figure out a plan
that would allow them to keep the
restaurant and catering businesses up
and running.
“Levi said, ‘
We have a café to run
and a community to serve and we have
to make sure everyone is taken care
of’
,
” said Shomer.
According to Shemtov, Friendship
Circle has taken over the payroll,
allowing all the employees to keep
their jobs. Elliott Baum, Friendship
Circle of Michigan board member and
longtime supporter of the organization,
is handling the business side through
his company, Blue Ribbon Restaurants,
a licensee of Famous Dave’
s Barbecue.
His staff is responsible for payroll,
purchasing, accounts payable and
receivable and other administrative
functions.
“When I found out what was going
on, I had a talk with my accounting
staff and told Levi we’
ll jump in,
”
said Baum, whose father, Fred Baum,
was the first kosher caterer at the
Southfield location of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek. “We didn’
t miss a beat
… we had a great first week.
”
Epic Kosher Catering is the meat
division of the catering operation,
while Milk & Honey provides dairy
catering out of the Soul Cafe, a kosher
dairy restaurant. Together, the three
divisions employ approximately 25-30
people, including individuals with
special needs at Soul Café and Milk &
Honey.
“We see the entire kosher division
as something that really needs to be
together to make the project viable,
”
Shemtov said.
Synagogues and other organiza-
tions who rely on the kosher catering
services, such as the JCC, will see no
changes. “It’
s business as usual,
” said
Justin Wedes of the JCC.
While the logistics of running the
restaurant and catering companies are
likely to continue evolving, Shemtov
remains fully committed to the busi-
nesses, the employees and the com-
munity.
“We have confidence in Shalom’
s
ability to continue to lead the team
and in assuring the continued success
of the business,
” wrote Shemtov in a
letter to the staff. “Elliott Baum has
decades of experience in the restaurant
business … and his leadership team
will be assisting the Friendship Circle
and Shalom in anything that is needed
to assure a smooth transition.
” ■
RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
FINE CHINESE DINING
“A wonderful adventure in fine dining” ~ Danny Raskin
Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner
Catering and carryout available
Gift certificates
27925 Orchard Lake Rd., North of 12 Mile, Farmington Hills
248-489-2280
www.honghuafinedining.com
On Star’
s beautiful already
low-priced trays
24555 W. 12 MILE ROAD
248-352-7377
www.stardeli.net
$5 OFF
Expires 08/31/19. One Per Order. Not Good Holidays.
10 Person Minimum. With this coupon.
DELIVERY AVAILABLE
“…one of America’
s finest
carryout-only delicatessens!
Star’
s reputation
has never wavered!”
— Danny Raskin
STAR
DELI
Prices subject to change
COMPARE OUR LOW PRICES WITH ANY DELICATESSEN IN TOWN!
SALAD TRAY
$13.99
per
person
per
person
DAIRY TRAY
$22.99
SALAD TRAY W/ LOX & CREAM CHEESE
$17.99
per
person
MEAT TRAY
$12.99
per
person
Celebrate your
summer parties with
a Tray & our Vienna
Hot Dogs