Presence

Baltimore's Kosher Subway is open today. A private preview gathering was held last Thursday night, Peninah and I were fortunate enough to attend along with mostly Star-K employees and friends of the owners, and I got a chance to sample some of Subway's sandwiches. I was very impressed, especially by the breads and the selection of toppings.

Many people have remarked to me that they think Subway will have a tough time competing with other local delis like Accents and The Knish Shop. While I agree that they will face competition, from what I've seen Subway does have some unique aspects to it that set it apart:

• parve cheeze


• a wide assortment of breads and toppings (the garlic bread is amazing)


• the Subway name (which doesn't matter much to frum Jews, but will bring non-frum business)


• a very nice and spacious location, with free wifi


• items not available at other locations, such as the meatball sub with cheeze

As such, I think there's plenty of room for a kosher Subway in the local market.

In the interests of full disclosure, I'd like to make it clear that I've received no compensation from Subway (other than the free samples I got last night). I like the food and I like the fact that mainstream American franchises are going kosher. I had kosher Cinnabon and Subway this week; I think it's a signal of where things are going, and I hope it continues.

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