After several years as the on-site caterer at Knollwood Place Apartments, as well as using the kosher kitchen as the base of its catering operations, Prime Kosher Catering has left the St. Louis Park building that is part of the Sholom West complex.
Prime notified Sholom leadership on March 11 that it was exercising its right to end the contract with the 30-day notice required, and left the building in mid-April before the start of Passover.
“We view this development as a way to build a better, more personalized dining experience for our tenants,” said Sholom CEO Jim Newbrough in a statement.
Prime provided all the dining services to the residents at Knollwood, as well as the Nosh Nook, a quick-service cafe. Newbrough would not comment on how much time was left, if any, on the PKC contract. Meyer Roberts of PKC did not return several calls seeking comment.
Newbrough said that they have surveyed the residents of Knollwood to “gather input and preferences” to help determine next steps. “Our senior leadership team is reviewing the surveys and actively evaluating dining providers, pricing structures, and service models that reflect what matters most to our tenants.”
Newbrough said they were still evaluating the results and would share those with the board, residents, and other key stakeholders.
“We really see this as an opportunity to reinvent what the dining services could look like, based more on what the residents want or feel they need,” Newbrough said. “It’s not a novel idea to talk to your customer and find out what they want.”
Sharon Lazarus, whose aunt, mother, and brother are all Knollwood residents, applauded the decision to survey the community. She said one of the items on the survey was if residents wanted to the facility to remain kosher or be a kosher-style facility.
“I think the majority of people are fine with kosher-style,” she said. “It would help reduce the pricing for a community that is on a fixed income.
Knollwood Place is an independent living building with 153 units. When there had been a meal plan, Lazarus said it was billed to the residents’ rent statements. After the meal plan when it was restaurant style, they would get a menu and order, paying per meal.
Since the notice went out, Lazarus has been helping make sure not just her relatives got meals, but others too.
“I want people to be happy and fed and have community, and that was kind of what I thought would be helpful,” she said. “I know other people who didn’t order with me are going to bring their food down, and people are going to eat together, and that’s the important thing.”
Newbrough said that it used to be commonplace for 55+ residence buildings like Knollwood to have a full dining program, but it’s happening less often in the new buildings that are popping up.
“We really try to create more of a sense of community here, as opposed to just moving into an apartment building,” Newbrough said. “It’s one of the things, I think, that differentiates Sholom. You can bring people together, and they can be together to break bread or eat a meal, or things like that. That’s what helps to create some of that sense of community. So I think that does differentiate us. I think it makes us special.”
So is PKC gone, out of business, moved to another kitchen??
Short answer: Prime Catering services remain fully active and will continue without interruption.
As a customer of Prime Catering the following was sent earlier this month:
Dear Valued Customer,
We’re writing to share an important update regarding Prime Kosher Catering and The Nosh Café.
After many wonderful years operating out of Knollwood Place Apartments, under the auspices of Sholom Alliance, we are excited to announce a new chapter in our journey. Effective immediately, we are relocating our catering operations and will no longer be based at Knollwood Place Apartments.
Our New Location:
Sato Sushi and American Fusion
4224 Minnetonka Blvd
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
As part of this transition, The Nosh Café will no longer be under our management and is therefore no longer under the supervision of Minnesota Kosher. The café has been a cherished part of the Knollwood community, and we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve you over the years.
What’s Next for Prime Kosher Catering?
Our catering services remain fully active and will continue without interruption from our new location at Sato Sushi and American Fusion. We’re excited to bring you the same quality and care for:
Simchas
Corporate Events
Private Functions
Lunch parties & business gatherings
Get in Touch:
952-800-4645
[email protected]
Thank you for your continued loyalty and trust.
We look forward to serving you from our new home and being part of your most special occasions.