Category: Ronnie’s Blog

As you may know, we are celebrating our 50th year in business, and our 40th year in Greenvale where we will be having a ribbon cutting ceremony in October of this year with our vendors, our key employees (although one could argue all of our employees are key and an integral part of our success over these past fifty years), and our local politicians on our expansion of outdoor dining as well as a makeover of the Greenvale restaurant giving it a more modern look. This has been a key to our success which is to innovate and keep up with the times.

Wow! And yes, I am still surprised that Ben’s 50^th year is upon us as I sit in my home office and wonder where all the years have gone. Then I was a starry eyed, idealistic young man and now I am a 74 year old grizzled (and some say grumpy) senior citizen. I’ve learned things I could never learn in college. In fact, I recommend this type of education for everyone no matter their background nor educational pedigree. What I have learned about people, vendors, and government can only be learned in what I call, “the trenches.”

And there I have been for 47 of those years with my wife Cindy and major support throughout the years. Who else would tolerate the hours and days I worked other than my best friend, companion and mother of our two children, Joshua and Jaime? Without such support I could never have grown Ben’s from a single store to as many as ten but now with six still standing despite the Pandemic and an upside down world. For that I am thankful to my family and ask forgiveness for all the birthdays, weddings and special occasions that Cindy, Josh and Jaime missed their daddy. My family gave up much but we all gained much from of our efforts. Not bad for a kid who lived in eight different places by age 14 whose family was evicted from apartments multiple times and whose parents one excursion into home ownership at age 6 resulted in a mortgage foreclosure two years later. All this made me, for better or worse, strive for success as I defined it. So now I must also thank all our patrons–past and present–for helping me continue on this journey.

With best regards,
Ronnie Dragoon
CEO/Founder

Once again, I’ve been given the monthly task of writing a blog for the E Deli Newsletter … so after about twenty years of writing this monthly piece, I was bereft of ideas. Then, suddenly, I realized that it is July 4th and what better topic than that of our founding fathers. Men (and women) of character, of letters, they dotted the landscape of the colonies. Political philosophers who sought to emulate the great Greek philosophers and the English Magna Carta. Hamilton, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Jay, are just some of the names I remember from my political science classes (from over 55 years ago). Not without warts, they still represented the best of America. Legal scholars, inventors, reluctant politicians, authors of the Declaration of Independence, author of the Bill of Rights (presently under attack) and of course, our United States Constitution which I believe should be a living document.

So to everyone at Ben’s –– customers, vendors and employees –– I wish you a Happy July 4th using the month of July as a reflection of where we have been and gone and where we shall go to make this a more perfect union.

Thank you all for your patronage and for helping me keep the kosher tradition alive.

With best regards,
Ronnie Dragoon
CEO/Founder

Did we really get through this past winter?
It felt like it would never end …  Then two 90-degree days in a row.
The transition from winter to spring is much like life. You never know what to expect or what will happen next.

So, where do we stand?
The cost of gas is through the roof.
The cost of freight has affected every industry.
Produce prices are up in many cases 30%.
Kosher meat and poultry are up in some cases 30%.
Canned goods are all greatly affected by freight, and import costs have dramatically increased.
Labor shortages are palpable.

So, what do I think the future holds?
Hope!
Hope for a better world, a more peaceful world, where the weakest and most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will be able to have food on their tables, a roof over their heads and safety in schools.
Let’s not take steps backward. Let’s move forward and hope for better people on the world stage with a sense of decency and compassion.

Wait, I have to get back to work behind the deli counter instead of pontificating.

I will never forget my roots and I will never ever lose hope.

With best regards,
Ronnie Dragoon
CEO/Founder

April showers bring May flowers. So how is this related to Ben’s? Well, we will be finished in May with our renovation of our Greenvale flagship location … so as the flowers bloom the newly renovated Ben’s will as well.

It is a true labor of love as we emerge from the darkness of the last two years. We plan on celebrating our 40th year of Ben’s Greenvale and our 50th in business  in October with a grand celebration. And to think that it all began with a formerly bankrupt location (twice) in Baldwin in 1972!

Fifty years in business attained at the age of seventy-four when I used to think anyone fifty years of age was old. I guess we keep moving the goal posts. Now, let’s sit back and bask in the accomplishment and celebrate the rebirth of our flowers and the Ben’s Greenvale rehabilitation, just in time for Mother’s Day. And let’s give a shout out to our patrons, vendors, employees and mothers. Without them, all this couldn’t have been accomplished …so again, thank you all.

See ya at the Deli,
Ronnie

The Year is 2022. The Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Journey began in 1972. A half century ago and at the same time as:

5 White House operatives were arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the start of the Watergate Scandal.

The United States and Soviet Union signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.

11 Israel Athletes were murdered by Arab Gunman at Munich Olympics.

NASA’s Space Shuttle Program was officially launched.

Bloody Friday 22 bombs exploded in Belfast Ireland.

Antiwar demonstrations drew 100,000 demonstrators in US cities.

The Dow Jones closed above 1000 for the first time in history.

Roberta Flack, Don McClean, Helen Reddy, Neil Young, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Judy Collins …

Ah what memories …

And I am making this prediction: Ben’s will survive and thrive for the next 50 plus years, as we grow and continue to adapt to change:

How will this be done?

Instead of Goodman, Levine, Budofsky we have Flores, Molina, Velasquez.

In addition to fatty corned beef, we have vegan corned beef.

In addition to a #7 (corned beef and pastrami), we have wraps, and paninis.

Instead of hearty beef stew, we have vegetarian chili … and the beat goes on.

And so, this year we’ll be celebrating fifty years in business with monthly specials … and with Todd Silverstein (COO) and Gilah Salzano (VP) at the helm, the journey will continue and together we will reach new heights.

And from the Ben’s Family to your family: May you and your loved ones have a sweet, happy, healthy, reflective and peaceful Passover and Easter.

And please don’t forget to place your holiday orders early.

See ya at the Deli,
Ronnie

GUEST BLOG
by Rabbi Paul Plotkin, Rav Hamachshir (Supervising Rabbi) of Ben’s

Is it important for Ben’s to be kosher?

Not really, if you have no sense of the Jewish community, but that has never been Ronnie’s way. Ronnie understood that the synagogue and the deli were two of the institutions that Jews came to, to be amongst Jews, and to feel like they were part of a community.

Seventy years ago, most Jews went to Temple and most Jews went to the deli. Some went to the synagogue to talk to God others went to talk to their shule buddies. Some went to the deli primarily to eat; many went to hang out with their buddies in a Jewish space.

As Jews have increasingly assimilated, they have attended both spaces less frequently. Synagogues are shrinking, merging, or closing, and Jewish Delis have almost disappeared. Both are struggling to stay alive and relevant, not only for their own survival but for the ethnic and religious survival of our people, which brings me to why Ben’s needs to be kosher.

The majority of non-Orthodox Jews do not keep kosher. The majority of Orthodox Jews and certainly all the Ultra-Orthodox not only eat kosher they eat a very stringent version of kosher, invoking ever increasingly difficult and restrictive rules that go far beyond being kosher. I once wrote an article for a Conservative Magazine arguing that we needed a new kosher symbol, The KE, Kosher Enough. Make sure the food is kosher and that no dairy enters the store, but it is enough that the meat is kosher, it doesn’t have to be Glatt Kosher. Through a rental arrangement that follows Jewish law, the store can be rented to a non-Jew for shabbat and Yom Tov and remain open. In such a way the cost of food would only be expensive not exorbitant, and the store would not have to pay for over 2 months of closure while paying full market price for the rent. This enables the store to offer a higher quality of food at lower cost than a Glatt Kosher restaurant.

Ronnie read that article and invited me to look at his restaurants. Eventually he asked me to supervise the chain.

But again, why be kosher at all?

Because there is a cross section of people who still keep kosher and want to have a place to go to eat and to schmooze with their friends and family who may not keep kosher.

The Synagogue that I served as Rabbi for 33 years was called Beth Am, the House of the People. We were a traditional Conservative synagogue and of course kosher, but I enforced a stricter standard such as only using kosher cheese and kosher wine while some synagogues permitted non supervised versions of both(and they had legitimate reasons to do so) but I wanted the House of the People to reach out to a wider population. I wanted the families of those coming to a simcha to feel comfortable to eat in our synagogue and celebrate together at the parties. At the same time, I drew the line at the “extra stringencies” as that would have backfired and precisely alienated the people I wanted to attend.

Ultra-Orthodox were not walking into my building let alone eating there, but the more traditional Jews including the modern Orthodox would come and we could be a more expansive community.

About 12 % of Bens’ customers come because we are kosher, and they can come with their non-kosher friends and family and enjoy together. The food is great so non-kosher Jews (and gentiles are always invited) can be comfortable with Ben’s, and the food is kosher so kashruth observers can come and hang with their non-kosher buddies. We are still a place that many in the community can gather in a warm, comfortable, maybe even nostalgic environment. (I would have said “Haymish” but to explain would have necessitated another paragraph)

Is it important for Ben’s to be kosher?

I think so. I hope you do too.

It is cold outside, the world is still reeling from the effects of Covid, and I am still trying with our executive team to navigate staffing shortages, inflation and supply chain issues. We are paying 30% to 40% more for meat, poultry, paper, plastic, aluminum, etc. The instability of the marketplace is witnessed as daily price changes take effect. At one time I could plan for the future with monthly or quarterly pricing, however now we must try to make it all work within days of the price changes.  And then there are shortages. No knockwursts or casing hot dogs available for months… and no Cel Ray soda? What is a deli to do?

This is no easy task.  What do we do to make it all work and remain a viable business?

Well, luckily, we have been thinking and planning new promotions. In case you have not heard… it is Bens’ 50th Anniversary.  And what better way to celebrate our golden anniversary than with monthly anniversary specials using the number 50 and the number 1972, the year we began this journey. We then must align labor with our fluctuating daily and weekly sales. If we are to survive, we must be more efficient… and we ask for a little patience from our loyal patrons during these tumultuous times.

Additionally, we just received a huge shipment of casing hot dogs, knockwursts, and cel-ray soda, finally! I have never been so excited for a hot dog or soda delivery. Things that always were and still are exciting to me. So, it should be no surprise to those who know me, that I am overly excited by our anticipated refurbishment of our flagship Ben’s, Greenvale, prior to, during and after the Passover holidays as we continue to operate throughout the reconstruction. I hope you’ll be as excited as I am as I prepare to transfer “power” with a newly refurbished store to our Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Todd Silverstein, and our Vice President, Ms. Gilah Salzano, and my best daughter, Ms. Jaime Dragoon Passy, my only daughter, but it makes her feel great and as a parent what makes my daughter happy makes me happy.

See ya at the Deli,
Simply,
Ronnie

Wow! The year is 1972 when a young man decides that a kosher delicatessen is to be his calling. The year is 2022 when an older man, but one who is still young at heart, celebrates that kosher delicatessen’s Golden Anniversary.

Where did the 50 years go? How did we survive and become one of the last kosher delis standing?

I can tell you two things I know for sure: it hasn’t been easy and it’s been quite an education. Nothing that college or being a vista volunteer could have prepared me for. I’m still trying to understand the younger generations with their cell phones, texting, face timing… all while working! But let’s talk about the more interesting things that have befallen Ben’s during these tumultuous times. I never imagined so many deliveries, so much over the deli counter business as we have witnessed and experienced in the last eight months.

I have learned about courier services, Door Dash, Grub Hub, Seamless, and sites whose names I find hysterical… Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat, twitter, etc.

I am looking forward to the day when we no longer must wear masks, can gather with friends and family, and not be overly concerned about Covid and all it’s mutations and variants. In December, I thought we were seeing the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel but it turned out that the tunnel was extremely winding and alas, the light was flickering as we encountered Omnicron.

But we must keep the faith and push forward. If we survive this period in our history, we can survive almost anything. And survive we must, as Ben’s and I will be celebrating our 50th anniversary all year long.

I have dreamed of this moment and am glad I am still around. Please watch for our monthly specials and join me in the festivities.

See ya at the Deli,
Simply,
Ronnie

So many thoughts, so little time, so little space. I am confined to a certain number of words so it’s not easy when you have mandates and an editor who always wants me to market Ben’s. Sometimes I do, thanks to her edits, but it really isn’t who I am. Rather, I like humor and I like to comment on the world, the foibles of us earthlings (gender neutral), and the stupidity of many – not all – of us who walk this Earth… and how we react to each other personally and in commerce. I have recounted how – when I first was in business – people/patrons would look down at me because I wore a white hospitality uniform with a white apron and two side towels (my days of watching Hopalong Cassidy with his two-gun holster). I guess they assumed I was pretty dumb having to work in a delicatessen. I still remember my best friend through high school and college telling me that I was wasting my life. I was smarter than working and owning a deli. I said to my good friend (now a retired Professor of Biology), I will make it work.

I can move mountains and now, almost fifty years later amid the worst epidemic in one hundred years, I am still moving mountains but this time with the help of our key employees.

Because of the dedication and hard work of our employees and the management staff we have been able to remain in business in all our locations save one.  And we will continue to improve and innovate as time marches on. Stay tuned… And lastly, lest the editor wreaks havoc on my person, please note that our dining rooms will be open Christmas and New Year’s Eve and Day… and if you prefer to cater at home, please place your orders early.

We want to be the kosher deli choice of your grandchildren and great grandchildren. Thank you for making that possible.

See ya at the Deli,
Simply,
Ronnie

Wow, it’s November already. I guess the cows are elated and rejoicing while the turkeys are seeing their futures come crashing down but no worry; we know at least one will be spared courtesy of a Presidential pardon. So what am I thinking about as we head towards the year 2022 which will be a special year for Ben’s. We will  be celebrating our 50th year in business. I started as I just turned 24 and now in 2022 I’ll be 74. Now that’s old (at least it used to be). In my early twenties I thought of the year 2000 and realized I’d be turning 52 years old and to me back then, that was old. Now, it’s a younger and more mature person. Is that called rewriting history? In any case, we’ll be celebrating all year long with give-aways, special discounted meals and other assorted prizes and maybe even a contest or two. We are proud that we prevailed through a financial crisis and this once in a lifetime pandemic (at least we all hope so). Would you believe that there is a shortage of turkeys for Thanksgiving? But no worry, we planned well in advance and scoured the market place but at a higher cost though we  raised the pricing for this holiday minimally so everyone is not left out to enjoy the festivities. And of course, we have Chanukah following on the heels of Thanksgiving and we’ll continue with our tradition of offering three dozen mini latkes (pancakes) and receiving the fourth dozen gratis (doesn’t that sound better than free).

See ya at the Deli,
Simply,
Ronnie