Sixth Sense

Branding Comes to Kosher Big Time

As a marketing expert, I am quite impressed by a growing trend in kosher, to develop strong brands. I am not only referring to brand names in consumer products but branding in stores and shops. The brands are a very positive development because they facilitate a positive relationship

The “kiddush” has become a status symbol for many in showcasing the best that kosher has to offer. The kiddush, recitation of a blessing over wine or spirit, which follows the Shabbat morning prayer is often a celebration of a festive occasion like a Bar Mitzvah or simply an opportunity to impress friends and

It was early August and the “Nine Days,” the period of mourning for the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem 1954 years ago. One of the refrains to mark the mourning period is to avoid meat which makes this a bonanza for kosher dairy restaurants and, of course, pizza stores. My wife and I decided to

What to do if you are on a business trip, didn’t bring along any kosher food, and a kosher meal is nowhere in sight? Try the snack car on an Amtrak train, which is exactly what I did on an Amtrak from Washington to New York. In addition to the typical Lays Potato Chips, Coke, pretzels, and peanuts, you might get

Monticello…Driving along Route 17 to the Catskill Mountains, you can literally count the number of trucks with well-known kosher brands. Many were headed to kosher stores in the area, but an equal number were destined for the many summer camps and the few remaining kosher hotels in the area. Kosher food service has

“Don’t look at the prices now; you might have indigestion,” warned the husband as his wife glanced at the right column with its inflated prices. “Two weeks ago, I ordered the same dish and paid $2.50 less. ‘ “Our meat costs went up 17% in just the last few weeks,” said the

In Brooklyn’s Boro Park, there is a widely held secret that one of its major kosher supermarkets is also a good destination for a good morning combination of a muffin, croissant, and coffee. At Evergreen Uptown in Pomona, it is the pizza and other dairy and pareve products from Basil. This is all part of a trend

It was early afternoon on a long Friday that I got my lesson on kosher pizza on Nostrand Avenue in Midwood. Pizza Palace was open but no pizza: “We ran out of pizza!” A customer joked: “Maybe Plaza Mall bought up all the pizza since they’re buying up all the property here anyhow, even closing two

The Adlers (name changed) were on a flight back to the States from Europe and had bought kosher food to eat on the flight back. Mr. Adler carefully opened the bag he bought and was about to distribute the food to his two daughters and son when the flight attendant barked: “put your mask back on.” When Lenny

I was one of the lucky ones (100,000 of us went to hotel programs this year) that had the good fortune to spend Passover with members of my family in a New Jersey hotel with a well-known chef. Without hanging around the kitchen, I could sense the many challenges the operator faced in feeding more than 1,000 guests. Would