Monsey, NY - If you have ever walked into a convenience store and wished the hot dogs rotating slowly on the grill rack were kosher, you might want to take a drive up to Monsey, where the 7-Eleven at the corner of Route 59 and College Road is serving up freshly cooked hot dogs.
Of the over 8,000 7-Eleven locations in the United States, the Monsey location is the only one to operate a separate kosher grill, according to Margaret Chabris, director of corporate communications at the Dallas based headquarters for the chain of convenience stores.
“This idea came from the franchisee,” Chabris told VIN News. “They contacted us to find out if it was doable and they worked it through with us.”
In fact, brothers Michael and Anthony Mendicino, owners of the Monsey location had been trying to find a way to serve up kosher hot dogs for years, after numerous requests from kosher consumers who frequent the store.
Mendicino estimates that the store draws approximately 2,000 customers on a daily basis and that seventy percent of his clientele are Orthodox Jews. He was quick to point out to one visiting customer that the Slurpee machines are only filled with kosher flavors. A quick glance around the store shows rows of Cholov Yisroel milk in the refrigerator case and a bakery case with a label stating which items are certified by the KCL of Lakewood.
But it was during a recent renovation that the Mendicino brothers realized that a kosher grill was an actual possibility.
“We installed a second grill during the remodel,” recalled Anthony Mendicino. “We looked at each other and the light bulbs went off in our heads. We said to each other ‘we are not touching this grill’ and we made the decision to call corporate to find out if the second grill could be used for kosher hot dogs.”
It took over a year for the approvals to come through and the store began serving kosher hot dogs just over a week ago, under the rabbinical supervision of Rabbi Zushe Yosef Blech.
The menu contains regular hot dogs weighing in at one sixth of a pound and priced at $2.59. Hot and Spicy hot dogs and Polish sausage are priced at $3.99 and Chef Sam Indig, who runs the grill, says that the Polish sausage is his best seller. Additional toppings add another fifty cents to the price of the hot dogs and the varied menu contains Jerusalem Dogs, topped with chumus, cole slaw, pickle chips and sweet pepper strips, the Mexican Dog, topped with salsa, diced onions, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise and the Garden of Eden Dog, topped with mayonnaise, barbeque sauce, hot sauce, cole slaw and sweet relish, among others. Freshly baked potato and spinach knishes are available for $2.49 and Chef Sam, as he is affectionately known is currently looking to expand the menu.
“I have never seen anything like this in America,” said Rabbi Blech, who said that corporate headquarters will be observing the store to see if the new grill is successful. Currently there are no plans for any other franchise locations to install a kosher grill, according to Chabris.
As per Rabbi Blech’s instructions, the only ones allowed near the grill area are Chef Sam and his assistant Heshy and the kosher grill is separated from the main grill by a counter. Signs on the glass case surrounding the kosher grill advise customers who want a coffee with their hot dog that non-dairy creamer is available in the coffee area.
“What is really amazing is that there are Jewish people who come in here who and eat products whose kashrus was questionable,” said Chef Sam, freshly attired in his official 7-Eleven chef’s coat. “Now that we have kosher hot dogs they are choosing the kosher food.”
Chef Sam Indig
A gala grand opening event held on Sunday featured face painting, music, clowns and more drew large crowds. According to Anthony Mendicino, who has co-owned the 7-Eleven location for nineteen years, response to the new grill has been excellent.
“One woman told me that her husband and her kids tasted the hot dogs and from now on, one night a week she won’t be cooking supper because her whole family will be coming here for hot dogs instead,” declared Mendicino proudly.
“The hot dogs are insanely good,” enthused Monsey teen Gitty Feder, who had a Garden of Eden Dog on her last trip to the store. “The chef who made it is awesome.”
Another customer admitted to having come to the 7-Eleven five or six times in the week since the debut of the kosher grill, saying that it is both the taste of the food as well as the energy and excitement added by Chef Sam’s presence that keep drawing him back to the store.
“I don’t know how it is possible that they got this done, but I am so glad that they did,” said Spring Valley resident Bentzi Klein, who says he has seen a significant increase in the number of vehicles in the store’s parking lot. “I come home from work, I stop here and have two or three hot dogs. I enjoy it every single time.”
