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Kosher Subway opens to rave reviews |
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| Thursday, 25 October 2007 03:00 | |||
It's open.
The Subway restaurant that just happens to be kosher — just the fourth in the nation — opened three weeks ago at 6312 College Blvd. But don't let the address fool you; it actually sits facing Lamar Avenue and the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel across the road.
And while things are still a little rough around the edges, co-owner Joan Fogel said business is booming.
“We're still in the process of getting everything exactly the way we want it to be,” she said while things were momentarily quiet at the restaurant Monday afternoon.
For instance, the full menu isn't set yet, due to the non-availability of certain kosher products.
“Some came in without the proper hechsher (certification), and we didn't accept them,” she said. “We're still looking for a couple of products. Some we can't get now, and some we may not be able to get ever. We don't know.”
The kosher Subway offers much the same type of food that a regular Subway does. One main difference is that there are absolutely no dairy products on the premises. That means the restaurant does not serve cheese or cheese substitutes of any kind. No traif, or non-kosher, products are sold, either. So there is no ham on the menu, and a beef product is substituted for bacon.
As there is no dairy in the restaurant, all the baked goods — bread and cookies — are pareve. Fogel noted that many kosher baked goods sold in other venues in the area, including the Hen House at 117th and Roe, are kosher-dairy. Therefore, she said, Subway is already selling lots of its pareve cookies. Subway baked 500 cookies last week for KU Hillel's “Rock Chalk Shabbat” dinner in Lawrence, Kan.
Fogel said customers have been willing to overlook glitches during the deli's first days in operation. For instance, the store can't yet accept credit cards because the computer system isn't working properly. A temporary menu board hangs behind the counter, and take-out menus and gift cards will be available soon. A Web site, here, is still under construction, too.
The kosher differenceFogel said items at her store are priced higher than at standard Subways “specifically because of the higher price of high-quality kosher meats.” For instance, a grilled chicken sub at the kosher Subway is $4.99, while a similar sandwich at Subway at 103rd and Metcalf is $3.69. “But we've not had any complaints on our pricing from the business community,” Fogel said. Closing early on Friday and remaining closed on Saturday to observe Shabbat has not caused problems, either, Fogel said. “Everyone seems respectful of it,” she said. “They all know that Hobby Lobby closes on Sunday so they can observe their Sabbath, and they see this as the exact same thing.” The restaurant seats 64, which Fogel said is large for a Subway. “We had to get special permission from Subway to seat this many. Our goal is to be a gathering place for the community,” Fogel said. Fogel said the restaurant is packed at lunch, although many customers are not Jewish and were not searching for a kosher restaurant when they pulled up. “It's healthy. It's affordable. We explain kashrut often throughout the lunch crowd, but nobody has been upset that we don't have cheese or bacon. In fact, today we heard that our meats are so much better that you don't miss having cheese,” she said.‘Schmooze party’Fogel said most Subways don't do as well at dinner as they do at lunch, but she thinks that will be different at this franchise, which she owns with her husband, Roger. Their biggest dinner crowd appears on Thursday night. “Who wants to cook dinner Thursday night when you're already preparing for Shabbos? It has been turning into a pre-Shabbos schmooze party,” Fogel said. The new Subway also has a Wi-Fi system, meaning customers can access the Internet there with personal computers. And, Fogel notes, the deli will be open for business on Christmas. Like all Subways, Fogel said, the operators slice their meats and prep their vegetables daily and bake throughout the day. She said she wouldn't serve anything in her restaurant that she wouldn't serve in her own home. And, she said, the staff — managers Rabbi Ben Kopelman and Brita Harris and 10 other employees — has been working hard. “People seem to appreciate good customer service,” she said. Fogel said the restaurant already has a booming catering business. So far it has catered several meetings at the Jewish Community Campus and even prepared 70 boxed lunches for the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy Golf Classic. Eliyahu Krigel, the Academy's dean of students and admissions, said the Academy has used the Subway to cater events on several occasions already, and it has proven popular. “All the participants at the fifth annual Academy Golf Classic loved eating kosher Subway,” he said. “The whole Rams soccer team ate there after recently completing a triumphant season. We are thrilled kosher Subway has landed in Kansas City and look forward to a lasting partnership.” Rabbi Mendy Wineberg of Chabad House has eaten at the Subway several times and finds it's a great chance to meet friends and acquaintances. “It's a great boost for the Jewish community here to have someplace to eat that's open regularly. I wish them the best of luck, and I hope it will be supported by everybody,” Rabbi Wineberg said. Beatrice Fine sampled the kosher Subway and she enjoyed the experience, too. “I always question the cleanliness of fast-food restaurants. This was beautiful and clean and the bathroom was spotless. It was quite impressive,” Fine said.Subway quick factsAddress: 6312 College Blvd., Overland Park, Kan. Phone: (913) 451-9993 Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday Closed Shabbat and Jewish holidays|"By: Barbara Bayer
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