Mordechai (Motti) Zisser, the religiously observant owner of the Arena Mall in Herzliya, wants to set up a kosher food court at the mall, where only kosher restaurants will operate. This would be the only kosher food court in the greater Tel Aviv area.
The plan coincides with the opening of a branch of the non-kosher supermarket chain, Tiv Taam Hacarmel Holdings Ltd. at the mall, over Zisser’s objections. This is the first time that the mall’s management is bringing in a supermarket to anchor the mall’s business mix.
The 1,600-sq.m. Arena Mall kosher food court is intended to serve the public of mall’s environs, including Herzliya, north Tel Aviv, Ramat Hasharon, Kfar Saba and Kfar Shmaryahu. During weekends, the kosher restaurants are expected to draw visitors from Holon and Rishon LeZion.
However, at the same time that Arena Mall is trying to attract religious visitors, Tiv Taam, owned by CEO Yaakov (Kobi) Trebitsch, will open a 2,000-sq.m. non-kosher supermarket on the mall’s second floor, across from the cinemas. Tiv Taam says the concept planned for the supermarket will be “one of the most beautiful and well designed stores in the world.” The supermarket will include a branch of the Japanese Soho restaurant, which currently operates in Rishon LeZion.
Religious businesspeople told “Globes” that this was compounding “sin on sin”. “Opening the Arena Mall on Saturday is an even more serious violation of Halakha (Jewish religious law), whatever color Zisser wants to paint it. Opening a Tiv Taam branch is a clear red flag.”
Zisser said in response, “I cannot live with the problems of the Sabbath and kashrut. The solution will be to sell the mall.”
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on May 18, 2006
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2006