By Janis Siegel, JTNews Correspondent
Kosher food does not usually have a reputation for being easy to find, particularly in the Northwest. But a new store just south of Seattle promises to make cooking kosher a little easier.
The superstore-based business model of Kosher Direct, one of the newest kosher businesses in Seattle, asks the customer to become a member by purchasing a $50-a-year membership in order to shop in a simple, no-frills environment. There they will find everything from gefilte fish, Israeli pizza, prepared foods in the to-go deli, Hanukkah candles or ritual objects for the home such as kiddush cups.
The savvy owner and well-connected food buyer, Mendel Notik, selects items from an abundant array of kosher foods available worldwide and he makes sure they are all certified kosher. Any item that Notik feels even the slightest bit unsure of, he identifies by leaving a small notice near the food.
“I ran the kosher department in the Seward Park QFC for two years and spent another year and a half working for a local kosher food distributor,” Notik said. “My basic vision was setting up one-stop kosher shopping that would include food and Judaica, you know, one-stop Jewish shopping. This is a place where you can do all of your shopping and also find a high percentage of Israeli products like wafers, snacks, Israeli cheeses and other milk products. If I think a product is questionable, I will say this product is not Chalav Yisroel.”
According to Notik, the store has everything that a typical grocery store has and more except there is no fresh produce.
“We have lots of “junk” food and a refrigerated deli section with ready-to-go salads so you could stop and buy everything you need for dinner,” Notik said. “We have an array of products that people are used to traditionally and we also have fresh Kalamata olives, pickles, kosher bleu cheese, juices from Israel and even kosher refried beans. For a kosher kitchen, we have housewares like sponges and knives that are separated by colors.”
The 7,000-square-foot building that currently houses Kosher Direct is full but Notik’s vision is to expand this location by occupying the other 10 acres that are located adjacent to the site. He wants to add a coffee corner so that people can sit and talk, sell newspapers from Israel, have a children’s section so that children can play while parents shop and eventually, incorporate a food court, retail shopping and possibly even satellite offices of local Jewish agencies. And, in addition to the land-based business, Notik wants to establish a Web-based presence, where people will eventually be able to order foods and specialty items that they know only he can find.
“The kosher market has grown to be huge mostly because of its quality and cleanliness,” said Notik. “We are a community store with superstore variety. We know people on a first name basis. The average shopping time is less because everything here is kosher. People usually spend a half an hour shopping and a half an hour talking. We try to cater to everything that’s up to date like candies in the shape of tools or Starwars (characters).”
In its first month of operation, Kosher Direct has signed up close to 500 families in the membership program. There is no special pricing for members but members receive a $36 gift certificate for use in the store and being a member does allow a shopper access to some of the lowest prices available in return for some of the highest quality kosher food on the market. Notik says that because the Northwest does not have a large Jewish population in comparison to other urban locations like New York or Los Angeles, the factors that increase the cost of certain products are availability and shipping.
“Our prices are the lowest prices because we sell on a cost-plus basis,” Notik said, “but membership gives us a way of communicating with people and tracking shopping patterns. In the near future, when we start our program of giving back a percentage of our sales to schools and other organizations in the community we can easily put (the proceeds) from each person’s membership directed to their favorite organization verses having to print cards and forms for every organization.”
(Kosher Direct is located in Renton on Rainier Avenue across from the Renton/Boeing Airport. They can be found on the Web at www.kosherdirect.com or at 206-772-0808.)