First all-kosher food market opens at Newark airport
New concession stand marks push for more kosher options for New York-area travelers
Renee Ghert-Zand is the health reporter and a feature writer for The Times of Israel.
The first all-kosher market in a US airport has just opened at Newark Liberty International (EWR). Although up until now, it had been possible to grab pre-packaged prepared kosher fare near the departure gates at a number of different airports, this is the first time that an entire shop is exclusively dedicated to kosher food.
According to YeahThatsKosher, an online kosher and travel guide, CIBO Express Gourmet Markets announced yesterday that it had opened The Kosher Market at the Newark airport’s Terminal C3 near gate 139. CIBO, which has more than 100 outlets spread across 11different major airports, is working with its existing kosher partner Fresko, to stock the all-kosher market at EWR.
Fresko’s Long Island City, New York operation is reportedly supplying the market with more than 60 freshly prepared “Grab ‘n Go” items, from sandwiches to wraps to salads. Snacks and sweets will also be available, including a selection of cookies, rugalech and brownies.
With the large number of Orthodox Jewish passengers that fly from Newark to Israel and other destinations, there is a market for food with stringent kosher certification. (All Fresko products are certified kosher by the Star-K. All dairy products are certified cholov yisroel, and all breads are pas yisroel.)
The market will also carry Coca-Cola and KIND brand products, which carry the OU kosher certification.
Travelers who don’t find themselves in the vicinity of The Kosher Market in Terminal C3 will still be able to find similar fare from Fresko at 10 other locations around the airport.
Kosher eaters flying out of New York’s other ports of embarkation, can find kosher food provided by either Fresko or Yummy Sandwich at shops and stands spread throughout LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). It has been estimated that at least 1 million of the 53 million travellers who pass annually through JFK are kosher food consumers.
Despite the numbers, it isn’t always easy for a kosher food concession to be profitable.
“The key will be that once the kosher option exists that kosher consumers patronize them rather than bringing food from home or stop at a restaurant on the way to the airport,” suggested KosherToday.
In other words, someone will have to convince bubbe not to pack us just a little something for the trip so that we shouldn’t go hungry.
