Restaurants:How to build a kosher restaurant

A letter to the community from Camille Joseph, who is truly in pursuit of kashrut.

Hello all,
It's me again with the latest instalment of what is turning into "Kashrut and the City": the ongoing chronicles of the pursuit of kosher eateries in Vancouver.

I (with the help of Rabbi Teitelbaum from BCK) have been in contact with several restaurants/food services companies in Vancouver for many, many, many, months
now. At this point there have been meetings, on site inspections, and initial examinations of ingredient lists. Whew! As a result, several establishments have shown some interest and the ability to make the necessary changes to acquire BCK certification. It looks quite promising.

As the Jewish/observant/kosher community in Vancouver grows (and it is) it becomes more and more crucial that there be more places where people can eat, meet, and buy kosher food product. Not only is this important for people who already keep kosher, but I believe that this is of paramount importance to those who are just beginning to explore the possibility of a more observant lifestyle.

Here's where you come in. I am asking you to:

1) Please forward this email on to anyone in the Jewish community, or anyone else who supports this endeavour (friends, vegetarians, others with beliefs which require stringency with food etc.)

2) Please take a few minutes to call or email at least 2 of the companies listed and let them know that you would like them to provide kosher food product. They are interested in the possibility, but they need to know that there is a population that wants kosher food in Vancouver.

#1 Annapurna - a cozy, vegetarian Indian restaurant
(604)736-5959
ask for Suresh or Gita

#2 Cupcakes - a small upscale bakery, a great place to order fabulous cakes for any occasion or drop by for a delicious (you guessed it!) cupcake
(604)874-1300 or
cupcakes@telus.net
ask for Lori or Heather

#3 Greens and Gourmet - a buffet, family-style restaurant
(604)276-2029 or
jersam@dccnet.com
ask for Jerry or the manager

I believe that this is a really important issue and your involvement could be the difference between these restaurants pursuing kosher certification or just not bothering to continue. So...

Call and email, and encourage others to do so.

I thank you in advance for your time and participation. I'm hoping for a good outcome and will keep you informed.

With sincere thanks,
Camille Joseph

if you would like to contact Camille personally, please email us for her information