Opened at the beginning of this year and newly certified kosher, Coldstone on 34th street (conveniently located two doors down from Brookdale) is a great place to relax and have a great time with friends (or go by yourself, too). The Observer staff sat down with Raymond Wong, franchisee and owner of the Tim Hortons/Coldstone establishment in midtown, to talk about the how’s, what’s, and why’s of becoming a kosher establishment.
The
Observer:
When and why did you decide to become officially certified kosher?
Raymond
Wong:
My children went to the JCC for preschool, so I knew what being kosher was. We actually wanted to become kosher from the very beginning, but when you start a business there are a lot of things to take care of, and we didn’t find the right person to officially certify us. We finally got around to finding Rabbi Mehlman.
O:
What is involved in the actual process of becoming certified kosher?
RW:
We have two franchises [in this specific location]: one is Tim Horton’s [which is not yet certified kosher] and one is Coldstone. In the beginning, we contacted the corporate heads that actually produce those goods to find out if the products were kosher. In Coldstone’s case, its parent company, Kahala LLC based in Arizona, gave me the information that all the Coldstone products were kosher and that they could get help us to get a kosher certificate.
[In the beginning], the rabbi came in and inspected all the food and the certificates. He comes in once a month to re-check everything, which includes checking the products on the shelves and in the stocking area and looking for the symbols for kosher production. The rabbi doesn’t have to approve the equipment. The corporation buys the equipment; the rabbi just cares that the equipment is designated for kosher use. It’s up to the franchisee and the owner to actively pursue a Rabbi to recognize your products as kosher. You have to be willing to participate in the process to become kosher. You can’t just have products that are kosher that just become certified kosher.
O:
Why midtown Manhattan?
RW:
I’ve lived on the Upper East Side for a long time. I was born in New York and raised in New York. We wanted to become kosher in this neighborhood because it’s a neighborhood where people come and order food and observe the laws of keeping kosher, and [I felt] we should have this for the community.
O:
What’s appealing to students about your Coldstone, and what are your future plans for Coldstone?
RW:
Every student with a student ID gets a 10% discount. And if I have my way, I’d like to get onto your meal plan so you can use [your caf card] instead of using your own money. If I can have a direct line to your meal plan, and take 10% off, it would be greater for everybody. Also, believe it or not, [many of the] Tim Horton’s products are kosher, but not yet certified kosher. We’re in the process of buying separate equipment so that we can get those products certified.