Business

Chinatown rebuilds after 9/11

Wellington Z. Chen talks to Jason Kwan, the vice president of A-image Company at the 3rd Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in Chinatown on Saturday. Photo by Mengxue Sun

The eve of the 15th anniversary of 9/11 was a festive day in Chinatown.

Visitors and residents ate free Chinese food and watched traditional Chinese performances at the 3rd Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in Chinatown. Local Business owners showcased they work in booths. Even five years ago this activity would be unheard of in this immigrant neighborhood, just east of ground zero.

“It is a long journey to recover from what we have experienced over the past 15 years, but we are trying,” said Wellington Z. Chen, the executive director for Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation, who helped organize the festival

He said the festival was developed to raise public awareness about the business and culture within Chinatown.

Following the 9/11 attacks, Chinatown suffered an economic depression. Census data of 2012 indicated a 9% loss of population in and local businesses experienced a 50% – 70% loss in monthly revenue in the three-month after the attacks.

Today, 15 years later, Chinatown business leaders remembered what happened on that day and the impact it had on their livelihood.

“It was a tragedy,” said Hua Li, 60, the president of United Fujianese of American. His wife, who used to work in the 1 World Trade Center, is a 9/11 survivor.

“She should have been there working on the 93rd floor, but luckily, when the flight crashed into the building she was on the ground,” Li said. “Many of her colleagues and a close friend of ours passed away. It’s very hard for all of us to remember that day.”

Following the attacks, Chinatown was hit by martial law aimed at keeping neighbors safe, but the cost was steep for businesses.

Dust and smoke were in the air. No trucks were allowed on Canal Street, their major business corridor. Chinatown residents had to show identification to get into their neighborhood. Parking was taken over by law enforcement. Businesses could not get delivers and there were no customers in sight. People moved away, businesses shut down, tourist buses and tourists stopped going into the area. According to data from Chinatown Partnership website, by 2002, up to 100 garment factories closed, which resulted in the loss of 8000 jobs lost.

“No one came to the store at that time,” said Tea Fu Zi, owner of Good Tea Water, a tea shop in Chinatown for over 20 years. “If I got $5 in a day, that would be my big day.”

Life changed not only for Hua Li and Tea Fu Zi, but for many Chinatown residents. This led members in the community take proactive measures.

In 2006, Chen formed the Chinatown Partnership. His goal was to rebuild Chinatown into a business improvement district that brings residents, business owners, and community groups together to promote a special destination to live, work, and visit. They also want to preserve their neighborhood and culture.

“It needs a process,” Chen said. “Unlike other BIDs, we use our money directly to repair the environment that 9/11 left for us.”

In the last three years, the Chinatown Partnership has worked with the Chinatown Business Improvement District and the Clean Streets projects. They brought in guidepost, cultural lanterns decoration projects, and store rental projects.

Ten years later, there are more than 4,000 stores, markets and big malls in Chinatown. Every year the officers from Chinatown Partnership conduct market research to determine growth and needs of local businesses.

Jason Kwan, the vice president of A-image Company, sold his self-designed Chinese T-shirt at the festival. This is his third year participating.

“It is a good way to help others see the beauty of Chinese culture and history,” Kwan said.

Chen said this is only the beginning.

“After the 9/11 attacks, everything changed, but did not change indeed,” Chen said. Chinatown has more than 100 years history, it is our duty to protect it and pass it to our younger generation as what it was before the attacks.”

Pop Up Shops invade New York City

Opening up a brick and mortar storefront in New York City can be one of the biggest challenges a new business can face. In order to stand out in this competitive industry, companies have to step up their game.

One way that brands are getting their products out there is by setting up temporary retail spaces. These pop-up shops are becoming more popular, as a unique marketing tool and a way to get up close with customers.

The Pop Up Mob, co-founded by Ana Pelucarte and Mari Lopez, is a full-service agency that helps brands bring their creative visions to life when it comes to the retail space. They saw an opportunity for innovation in the industry and have produced pop-ups throughout the city, as well as Miami and Los Angeles.

“I think a lot of new companies that are becoming well established have realized that it’s better for them to pop up in a lot different cities, or within the same city in different areas, and give that element of we’re here and now we’re not, instead of being permanent at a location,” said Pelucarte.

With many larger companies announcing permanent closures of their physical locations, including C. Wonder, Kate Spade Saturday and Jones New York, a pop-up shop path may look like a more economical option. According to the Pop Up Mob, a successful pop-up is based on location.

“When we scout for locations, we go through a strategy and talk to the designers, and actually find places that match with what they’re selling and want to express,” said Lopez. “It has to make sense. It’s all about creating a story.”

Negative Underwear, a new lingerie line, worked with the Pop Up Mob to create The Negative Love Stream, a pop-up truck that took to the streets of Manhattan for Valentine’s Day.

As an online-only brand, co-founders Lauren Schwab and Marissa Vosper wanted to bring their products directly to customers in a physical space. They’re not the only ones with that idea. Other brands that popped up this month include Nike and Michael Stars.

“E-commerce has been growing a lot, so I think retail will always exist,” said Pelucarte, “but it will just have to innovate.”

NYU students protest sale of sweatshop apparel at NYU bookstore

NYU Students Stand up for Sweatshop Workers from Pavement Pieces on Vimeo.

Earlier this month, students laid on the floor of the NYU Bookstore with their eyes shut and fliers placed on their chests that read, “Deathtraps never stop exploiting.”

The students are members of NYU’s Student Labor Action Movement (SLAM) and were protesting the University’s relationship with sweatshop labor in Bangladesh through a “die-in”. The JanSport backpacks sold in the cavernous East Village bookstore, are made in sweatshops, protestors said. VF Corporation, an American apparel company that makes the bags, refuses to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, which aims to make garment factories safe workplaces through the implementation of more building inspections.

“They are one of the largest producers if not the largest producers in Bangladesh and it’s really important that they sign on to the Accord because it will determine whether or not the majority of the factories are covered”, said Robert Ascherman, an organizer with SLAM.

SLAM, which is a part of the national organization, United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS), is pushing the University’s administration to end its contract with VF. The students staged the “die in” to highlight the many workers killed and injured in garment factory accidents in Bangladesh in the past year.

SLAM members also delivered a letter in person to NYU’s officials in February, requesting them to break their ties with VF.

“Our real power comes not from individual actions but by working together and putting pressure on the university,” said Ascherman. “Because we pay (the university), it should be responsive to students and listen to us, but that’s not actually how it occurs here.”

After doing some research on the matter, the University will be responding to SLAM’s letter this month, according to John Beckman, Vice President of Public Affairs at NYU.

In an e-mail, Beckman said that JanSport is an NYU licensee meaning that it is authorized to produce NYU apparel. JanSport was purchased by the VF Corporation in 1986. Despite that, JanSport is the sole holder of the license to produce NYU apparel.

“JanSport, like all the VF companies, operates independently and determines where to manufacture JanSport goods”, Beckman said. “JanSport has never produced apparel in Bangladesh.”

He also said that VF owns another brand called VF Imageware, which does produce in Bangladesh. However, NYU does not have a contract with VF Imagewear, and that no VF brand has ever produced NYU apparel or products in Bangladesh.

There have been numerous garment factory disasters in Bangladesh, including fires and building collapses. More than 100 workers were killed in a fire at the Tazreen Fashions garment factory in November of 2012 as reported by Human Rights Watch.

In April of 2013, over 1,000 workers lost their lives when the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Dhakka, the country’s capital. Rana Plaza was home to many Western retailers’ factories.

Ismail Ferdous is a documentary photographer, who is based in Dhakka, but also works in New York City. He was at the scene of the disaster and was able to capture the pain and devastation of both the victims and their families in his photographs.

“An eight-story building became like a sandwhich,” Ferdous said, demonstrating by clamping both his hands close together. “I never seen so many dead bodies in my life-like 1,200 people and the faces of the victims’ families broke my heart all the time,” he said.

SLAM wants to raise awareness about the lack of safety standards in many Bangladeshi garment factories so accidents like Rana Plaza don’t happen again.

Along with some other Western apparel companies, VF has joined the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. In a statement of purpose that was released in July of 2013, leaders of the Alliance said they plan to launch their own Bangladesh Worker Safety Initiative.

But Ascherman said that the Alliance is “illegitimate, not legally-binding and does not provide enough funds” to ensure building repairs and inspections as the Accord does.

Besides VF, GAP, Wal-Mart, JCPenney, and the Children’s Place are some of the other American companies that haven’t signed the Accord. According to a report by the International Labor Rights Forum, GAP, Wal-Mart, and the Children’s Place have also refused to compensate the victims of the factory disasters they’re involved with.

“They’re big companies,” said Ferdous. “They can afford to compensate the (victims’) families, because the families are poor. Some of the kids lost both their parents.”

As the one-year anniversary of the deadly Rana Plaza incident draws near, SLAM has experienced some success with their “End Deathtraps” campaign and getting their message out. “I think there’s been a significant amount of progress on this campaign,” said Ascherman.

He also said that recently several companies including Addidas and Fruit of the Loom have signed the Accord through the pressure of USAS groups at various universities across the country. “We’ve seen about six or seven groups sign on and so those factories will definitely start immediately seeing improvements.”

The safety and rights of Bangladeshi garment workers might not seem like an issue concerning Americans, but Ascherman begs to differ.

“Americans like anyone else are moral human beings and should be outraged about what’s going on and also should realize that as the major consumers of the products coming out of Bangladesh, we have a lot of power,” he said.

Sales of fro-yo dip as city settles into deep freeze

Yohielo frozen yogurt shop in Greenwich Village has seen a major drop in customers during the winter months. Photo by Reuben Jones.

Yohielo frozen yogurt shop in Greenwich Village has seen a major drop in customers during the winter months. Photo by Reuben Jones.

Standing behind a bar of rainbow colored sprinkles, blueberries and chocolate sauce was a smiling, but lonely staff member at a newly opened Red Mango frozen yogurt shop in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, yesterday.

The wait for a customer can sometimes be long for Christie Jorsling, 28, who is supposed to be a shift leader, but she is working alone because business is slow. Jorsling is counting down the days when the temperatures that see people running into coffee shops depart, and the dog days of summer drive those same people into ice cream or frozen yogurt shops.

Christie Jorsling, 28, is supposed to be a shift leader but because of slow business she has been the only employee during her shifts. Photo by Reuben Jones.

Christie Jorsling, 28, is supposed to be a shift leader but because of slow business she has been the only employee during her shifts. Photo by Reuben Jones.

“The cold is not my friend,” said Jorsling who said she only typically sees about 10 customers during her shift from noon to 4:00 p.m., and they are usually the same ones.

The story is the same at the five-month-old Yohielo frozen yogurt shop in Greenwich Village where Brittany Henry, 17, a cashier at the store, estimates that on a typical day when they first opened in September she would see around 250 customers. Now, she only sees around 20.

During her down time, Henry has to find other distractions.

“I read my book,” said Henry. “Or we [the staff] just chat together.”

Down the street, Yooglers Frozen Yogurt sees about a 50 percent drop in customers in the winter season. But management has decided to take a step away from the frozen business. Outside of their store is a sign that results in many cold heads turning to look: $1 coffee.

Anne Black, 24, is the manager of the shop. She said the decision has paid off and they have also started selling candy in bulk to draw in customers that might typically ignore the store during the cold months.

The seasonality of the ice cream and frozen yogurt business makes the location of the shops especially important, Black said because the Yooglers store is large it allows people to come in and hang out in a heated shop. But she said their business relies on three main groups of customers: tourists, students and regular customers. According to Black, Yooglers is able to bring in those three groups because of their location near New York University.

At Red Mango, Jorsling said because of her distaste for the cold, she admits she would have a hard time buying ice cream herself.

Red Mango in Prospect Heights opened the end of 2013. Photo by Reuben Jones.

Red Mango in Prospect Heights opened the end of 2013. Photo by Reuben Jones.

“I wouldn’t even know how to sell someone on that,” Jorsling said. “It’s hard for me to be like, yay cold things, when it’s really cold.”

But to customers in some of the brightly colored frozen yogurt shops playing happy music, the temperature didn’t impact their decision to eat the frozen treat.

“Its cold, and you’re miserable, and its always nice to treat yourself,” said Sam Whitlam, 28.

Reminders of summer are easy to find at ice cream and frozen yogurt shops around New York City, and while that may be one reason customers help keep the shops open until the warmer months, that’s not the main cause. The comfort the treat brings to the stomach are what customers said brings them back through the doors.

“The regulars, they legitimately love it,” said Jorsling. “They genuinely really love the product.”

That’s good news for shop owners because temperatures aren’t supposed to go above 30 degrees in New York City for the next three days.

Business heats up as Super Bowl temperatures drop

NYPD is in place at Times Square for Super Bowl week. By Zoe Lake

NYPD is in place at Times Square for Super Bowl week. By Zoe Lake

As frigid temperatures and Super Bowl fever sweep the city, New York businesses are gearing up for what is sure to be a busy weekend. Dining deals, party packages, and drink promotions mean big business, especially for those establishments close to Times Square, where ‘Super Bowl Boulevard’ will draw large crowds throughout the week with events including a toboggan run, and NFL autograph tent, among others.

Meg Sylvester, 26, manager of Social Bar .com on 48th and 8th, is anticipating a major increase in patronage over the weekend, and said they are prepared to handle the Super Bowl crowds.

“With our close proximity to Times Square we are anticipating a larger crowd,but its really just about being prepared. All staff will be on hand, it’s going to be a great weekend,” she said.

Establishments near Times Square have been warned that road closures surrounding the area in preparation for the opening, operation, and closing of Super Bowl Boulevard this week might affect their deliveries but Sylvester isn’t worried,

“The mayor’s office has been really good at letting us know about road closures, sanitation crews, and waste pick-up so we can prepare. There’s nothing to contrast this event to, so all we can do is be prepared,” she said.

Paul Downey, 33, of Manhattan, manager of McHale’s Bar and Grill on 51st and Broadway, agrees;

“We’re kind of winging it a little bit, we don’t know what’s coming, and we don’t know what to expect we’re just planning on being busy,” he said.

Paul Downey, 33, the manager of McHale's Bar and Grill is prepared for large crowds this weekend. By Zoe Lake

Paul Downey, 33, the manager of McHale’s Bar and Grill is prepared for large crowds this weekend. By Zoe Lake

Downey plans on having extra security on detail but feels good knowing the NYPD will likely ‘have a cop on every corner.’

Downey, and Eric Shon, 34, of New Jersey, who owns Shon 45 Wine and Spirits, also near Times Square, said business has been unusually steady after Christmas and New Years; a time where it traditionally levels off. Shon believes this has left him better prepared for the high demand that is sure to come with Super Bowl weekend.

Shon, 34, of Shon 45 Wine and Spirits stands in his shop ready for Super Bowl Business. By Zoe Lake

Shon, 34, of Shon 45 Wine and Spirits stands in his shop ready for Super Bowl Business. By Zoe Lake

“We’re pretty well stocked, Christmas and New Years hit us pretty hard so we’ve been trying to compensate for that,” he said.

Shon expects that liquor and wine deliveries, which average at about 5-10 a day for his shop, will increase leading up to the weekend, especially with the influx of fans staying in nearby hotels.

Times Square Westin office manager Chainika Sachdev, 26, of Edgewater, says they are expecting a full house.

“We’re pretty booked up this whole week,” she said. “Bookings went up as soon as the two teams were announced, but were not oversold.”

Sachdev expects that between last minute bookings, and walk-ins they will likely fill all their rooms this weekend. Many other area hotels are anticipating the same given their proximity to the game itself, which is being held in New Jersey.

As the countdown to the first cold weather Super Bowl in nearly 20 years winds down, New Yorkers don’t have to worry about local businesses getting cold feet,

”We’ll be ready for them,” chuckled Downey. “And hopefully the weather will hold up too.”

Veterans job fair helps vets find a career

Jaimel Greene speaks with a potential employer at Wednesday's job fair. Photo by Reuben Jones.

Jaimel Greene speaks with a potential employer at Wednesday’s veterans job fair. Photo by Reuben Jones.

The last time Jaimel Greene had a full time job he was doing accounting work aboard the U.S.S. Mahan while serving in the Navy.

That was five years ago.

Since then, Greene, 32, has held part time and temporary jobs, but has not found success in landing a full time position. While his experience in the military was in accounting and finance, he said he’s willing to work in another field.

“I know that’s what my resume says, but if somebody offers me the opportunity to learn and get on the job training and I find that it fits me and fits the company, I would go for it,” Greene said. “I’m pretty much open to anything. Something that I can grow in and make a career.”

Greene was looking to find that career at a media and advertising related job fair this afternoon at the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and Advertising Week put on the fair, which featured around 20 employers, including CBS CORPORATION and Complex magazine. About 50 veterans attended.

Greene, who joined the military in 2003, grew up in East New York, Brooklyn joined the Navy to get a change of environment and help further his life and career.

Greene served in what he called a “diplomatic deployment” because the ship he served on would travel to different countries and the sailors would interact with everyday citizens and international dignitaries.

“Even though we weren’t fighting the war physically we were still helping out,” Greene said. “It changed their perception of America. They actually got to meet people [military members] first hand and interact.”

But when Greene eventually left the Navy in 2008 and began looking for a job or to enroll in college, his life became a little more difficult.

“It’s been rough,” said Greene who said he struggled to get support from the Department of Veteran Affairs to help with his injured knees and the glaucoma in his eye, injuries that both originated while he was in the Navy.

After finally getting medical assistance from the VA, Greene was accepted into college in 2010 under the G.I. Bill where he planned to become a drug and alcohol counselor.

But only three months after being in college, the VA informed him that there was an error and he wasn’t supposed to have been approved for school. Greene was forced to drop out of school and was stuck with student loans he couldn’t afford..

“I was very disappointed. It was like life was taken out of me,” Greene said. “To come back and get denied for a lot of stuff, it hurt, it shattered me. It just changed my whole lifestyle around. I got depressed. I didn’t really want to do nothing. I had to find it in myself to really say you can’t stay here; you got to move on.”

Greene was able to begin moving on when the IAVA agreed to help him pay down the debt and help him improve his life. Greene said that the difficulties he went through temporarily brought him down emotionally, but that he now still wants to go to school and get a full time job.

“In the military you learn: you have to fight to get to where you want to be at,” Greene said.

Someone else who had to fight was veteran Phoebe Gavin, 27, who was in a similar position when she got out of the military in 2010, and realized getting a job wasn’t going to be easy.

“I expected to have a little bit of difficulty finding a job just because the economy was falling apart, but I really didn’t expect it to be as bad as it was,” said Gavin, who served in the Army in Iraq in 2007 and now lives in Sunnyside, Queens. “And it took me a while to figure out it wasn’t just the economy, part of it was me.”

What Gavin realized was that she wasn’t able to explain to employers what her military experience was and how it would relate to her getting a job. She also didn’t have experience in writing resumes and doing interviews because she joined the Army at 17.

IAVA helps veterans with resume building, interview skills, and developing military skills into citizen speak through their partnership with Cisco and Amazon, said Derek Bennett the chief of staff at IAVA.

Gavin found that many of the military skills could be applied to the workforce including making due with few resources . Gavin also emphasized that veterans leave the force with a high level of maturity.

Gavin, who attended last year’s job fair, got a full time job in June and instead of meeting employers at this year’s fair, she is helping other veterans in her new position as Outreach Coordinator for IAVA.

Suits and job training offer hope to veterans

Nelson Quinones, 53, of the Hunt Point veteran shelter in the Bronx finds hope in the Save a Suit "One Million Dollar Pledge for Veterans". Photo by: Talia Avakian

Nelson Quinones, 53, who currently resides in a Hunts Point veteran shelter in the Bronx, finds hope in the Save a Suit “One Million Dollar Pledge for Veterans”. Photo by: Talia Avakian

In 1980 veteran, Nelson Quinones, was rushing to get to the car repair company where he worked when he was hit in a head-on collision that left him with a cracked skull and a broken leg. His two-month recovery in the hospital cost him his job and he needed to turn to veteran programs to help him get back to work.

Quinones, 53 a native of Puerto Rico, spent the next 33 years at four different veteran programs hoping to get the skills he needed to get back to working, but nothing worked. He is still jobless.

For homeless veterans like Quinones, receiving the basic training skills needed to get a job has been hard, but a new program, Save a Suit, which offers veterans suits and job training, may provide hope.

“When I look at the programs I’ve been in, I don’t see help and I don’t see change” said Quinones. “Today is the first time I see a program that could give us the training we really need.”

Hosting its “One Million Dollar Pledge for Veterans” job fair yesterday afternoon at Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, the program provided one million dollars in suits, but what the program provided for the 600 attending veterans was more than just clothes.

In addition to employers seeking workers, there were workshops on leadership building, social networking, marketing, and how to land a job, the program’s aim was to “provide veterans with the confidence needed to become proactive in interviewing with employers,” said executive director Jessica Ewud.

“Many of the programs still train veterans to do what they are told in a yes, no, fashion, a real problem when attempting to aid veterans transition from the military world to the civilian,” said Ewud.

This was the case with the programs Quinones participated in. Quinones turned to a veteran facilitation program in Hunt Point, Bronx, where he currently resides, in hopes of gaining the tools needed to get back to working. Instead, the program only kept him further “stuck.”

Quinones wears the wristbands of the veteran facilitation programs he has participated in. Photo by Talia Avakian

Quinones wears the wristbands of the veteran facilitation programs he has participated in. Photo by Talia Avakian

The big problem for Quinones was the way the program functions.

“If you say something to the faculty regarding changes you want to see, they try to punish you,” Quinones said. “Half the time, when we try to talk to the staff, they cut us off. I couldn’t finish in a program like this.”

Not only was the environment of concern for Quinones, but also the lack of what was provided.

“As a program, they are supposed to help us get our place, to get an education, but they don’t focus on teaching the most basic skills like using a computer,” he said.

For Ewud, confidence achieved through focusing on basic skills is the key.

“You can tell from the faces of most of the people who walk in that they are upset,” said Ewud. “What we aim to do is to provide them with the training to give them a newfound confidence.”

This was the case for 55-year-old veteran, Mark ManFredi.

Having served in the US army for two years, ManFredi faced difficulty finding a job when he came home.

“When we returned we weren’t looked at favorably,” ManFredi said. “If you wanted a job, all you could find were the low paying ones, but they didn’t have services like this one today.”

ManFredi dedicated 17 years to assisting veterans at the Providence Heath Center in Rhode Island before moving to Hoboken, NJ. For ManFredi, programs like Save a Suit are crucial for future returning veterans.

“I felt my job skills were extremely limited back then,” ManFredi said. “Programs like this give you the confidence to utilize your background as a veteran, and get the job.”

A few feet away, Quinones sat with a newfound hope in the program’s mission.

“When you don’t feel good at these programs you leave, staying in the street most of the time,” said Quinones.

“Today’s program was one of the first times I’ve felt good in a long time,” Quinones continued as he wiped tears from his eyes.

A hip, new twist on gefilte fish

Gefilte fish, the classic though much maligned Ashkenazi Jewish appetizer, has been revived and modernized by The Gefilteria, a Brooklyn-based startup. With Passover coming up this Monday night, The Gefilteria team is racing to keep up with gefilte fish orders. Photo by Circe Hamilton.

Gefilte fish, the classic though much maligned Ashkenazi Jewish appetizer, has been revived and modernized by The Gefilteria, a Brooklyn-based startup. With Passover coming up this Monday night, The Gefilteria team is racing to keep up with gefilte fish orders. Photo by Circe Hamilton

 

On Monday night, Jews across the globe will join for a ceremonial meal marking the first night of the Jewish Holiday Passover. There will be wine to celebrate freedom. Maror herbs to symbolize the bitterness of slavery. Matzo to remember how the Israelites fled Egypt. And somewhere along the dining room table will appear the most polarizing dish of them all: gefilte fish.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” Anna Perling, 21, of Park Slope, Brooklyn, said. “Gefilte fish is smelly and it is stored in this aspic-y, gelatinous substance. It was definitely a food of my childhood. Now it kind of grosses me out.”

Gefilte fish, the old-world Ashkenazi Jewish staple made from ground fish such as carp or pike, is a dish that modern Jews tend to associate with a grandmother who made it in their youth—but now stay far away from. The supermarket jarred variety preserved in a fish broth jelly has a lot to do with its notorious reputation.

But like with many ethnic foods that have experienced exciting revivals in the last few years—Greek yoghurt, Asian pork buns, the Mexican Cemita—The Gefilteria, the year-old Brooklyn-based startup, entered the food scene with big visions for Ashkenazic Jewish food too. By producing aesthetically-pleasing gefilte fish terrines using fresh and local ingredients, The Gefilteria transformed the highly maligned fish appetizer into something quite palatable, if not delicious.

“We are having a crazy response from people,” Elizabeth Alpern, 28, of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, one of the three founders of The Gefilteria, said. “This morning I realized how quickly we are going through our inventory. We are even shipping gefilte fish across the country for Passover.”

A culinary staple with peasant origins, gefilte fish was introduced to America in the early 20th century as a standard food for eastern European immigrants. Today it is the quintessential appetizer at Sabbath and the Jewish holidays.

One year into the business, The Gefilteria is rushing to keep up with gefilte fish demand. In a Kosher for Passover facility in Paterson, N.J., the trio has been busy preparing 100 times as many gefilte fish orders than Passover last year.

But it took a lot of experimenting in the kitchen for The Gefilteria to discover how to reclaim their culinary heritage in today’s hip food scene. The trio realized that for gefilte fish to make a comeback, it would take aesthetics, freshness and the sourcing of the fish.

“Our gefilte fish does not come in a jar,” Alpern said. “We made it look more like a terrine or fish pâté with a line of salmon down the center. It’s such a beautiful and exciting thing to have on the plate.”

With a focus on baking, blast-freezing and sourcing sustainably managed fish such as salmon, Steelhead trout and pike from the Great Lakes, The Gefilteria produces a much fresher and healthier version of gefilte fish, appealing to a bigger more health-savvy market.

“We took out the carp from the traditional recipe because of the high mercury levels,” Alpern said. “We also don’t use any matzo meal or fillers. Ours is gluten-free. So it’s a lot denser, tastier and better for you.”

Altering the recipe has meant some friction with gefilte fish traditionalists, who often compare The Gefilteria’s modernized creation to a grandmother’s old recipe.

“They get thrown off by the different appearance,” Alpern said. “But after they taste it, they usually like it. Many say that it reminds them of their childhood. So that is really special.”

Elizabeth Alpern (left), Jeffrey Yoskowitz (center) and Jacqueline Lilinshtein (right) are the entrepreneurs behind The Gefilteria, a Brooklyn-based food startup. Reclaiming the food of their Ashkenazi Jewish roots, they have revived and modernized the concept of Gefilte fish, the classic though much maligned Jewish appetizer. With Passover coming up this Monday night, The Gefilteria is racing to keep up with gefilte fish orders. Photo by Circe Hamilton.

Elizabeth Alpern (left), Jeffrey Yoskowitz (center) and Jacqueline Lilinshtein (right) are the entrepreneurs behind The Gefilteria, a Brooklyn-based food startup. Reclaiming the food of their Ashkenazi Jewish roots, they have revived and modernized the concept of Gefilte fish, the classic though much maligned Jewish appetizer. With Passover coming up this Monday night, The Gefilteria is racing to keep up with gefilte fish orders. Photo by Circe Hamilton.

As well as gefilte fish, which is sold for $16.50 per 12-ounces; or $28.00 per 24-ounces, The Gefilteria also has two kinds of fresh horseradish, sweet beet and spicy citrus carrot, the latter being a modern interpretation of the carrots traditionally served on gefilte fish.

Alpern on her journey to becoming a gelfite fish connoisseur
Gefilte Fish

Beyond the Jewish holidays, The Gefilteria has been working to expand its concept to other consumer markets. The team spent all summer at the Brooklyn Flea selling their “Old-World Sampler Plate,” which came with a slice of gefilte fish on melba toast, borscht, sauerkraut and naturally fermented pickles.

“Between the taco guy and the lemonade stand, we actually fit in,” Alpern said. “Now we are seeing a demand for our gefilte fish as an hor d’oeuvre at parties.”

With pickles next on the product line agenda, The Gefilteria also plans to distribute nationally in supermarkets and other stores in the future.

Along with Kutsher’s in Tribecca, the modern Jewish-American bistro that claims it is “making Jewish food sexy,” and Mile End, the recently opened hipster deli, The Gefilteria is part of a growing movement in New York that is reviving and modernizing Jewish food.

“I think we are seeing a rebirth of interest in food,” Alpern said. “Jewish food has always been really great and engaging. But now it’s just on a whole new level because now you’re getting so many more people excited about food.”