New Eatery’s an Instant Draw

By Liza Wiemer – Chabad.org

There’s a new kosher restaurant at Arizona State University in Tempe, and students, professors and people from all over the area are flocking to it. Chick-In has been a 13-year dream come true for Chabad at ASU, co-directed by Rabbi Shmuel and Chana Tiechtel.

The glatt-kosher restaurant opened in March, in the university’s centrally located Wilson Hall, to rave reviews. Freshman Hal Danesh of Agoura Hills, Calif., says this addition to the food options has strengthened his belief that the university is invested in its Jewish students and the extended Jewish community. Students are required to live in dormitories their first year and use the meal plan, so the advent of kosher food is a real gain for Jewish students.

“This is a historical event for ASU,” Rabbi Tiechtel tells Chabad.org, crediting the partnership between Chabad; the administration at Arizona State, particularly its president, Michael M. Crow, and vice president of student services Jennifer Hightower; Chick-In’s owner, Yariv Elazar; and the university’s food-service provider, Aramark.

Approximately 5 percent of the school’s nearly 72,000 students are Jewish. Tiechtel says the new restaurant will appeal to Jewish high-schoolers in Arizona, who now have another reason to stay in-state for college, and attract Jewish students from around the country now that kosher food is accessible on campus.

For sophomore Mara Friedman, Chick-In not only provides a much-needed place to eat, but has given her a place to go for the past two months where she inevitably will run into a friendly face. “It makes the experience very homey,” she says. Friedman, a native of Cleveland, reveals that she tempts those back home with the food she’s now savoring, snapping photos of the Israeli-style dishes and texting them to her friends.

Before this, kosher meat could be hard to come by. Students would have to wait for Shabbat dinners at the Chabad House or for Jewish holidays and special occasions. Junior Nicole Paul from Scottsdale, Ariz., says Chick-In has actually changed her college experience. She frequents the restaurant for many of her meals, also ordering food to go for Shabbat.

The administration has noticed the positive impact.

“The recent addition of an on- campus kosher restaurant, Chick-In, to our broader dining portfolio is very important to the ASU student experience,” says Hightower. “We are very appreciative of Rabbi Shmuel’s leadership and involvement in helping us identify an outstanding local restaurateur who provides a dining option that meet the needs of our Jewish student community, as well as the broader campus community. We are delighted with the quality of food and overall experience that Chick-In offers and the broader impact it has on advancing Jewish student life at Arizona State University.”

International Flair and Flavor

When Rabbi Tiechtel approached Elazar for this venture, the timing was just right. Elazar had pondered opening a restaurant for some time—a place that offered unique, affordable dishes with the freshest of ingredients. He hired a top Israeli chef, Mayaan Glass, who had studied in Vienna to develop a select menu with an international flare.

The chicken sandwich menu includes the “Tel Aviv,” with hummus, tahini and Israeli salad; the “Arizona,” with barbecue aioli, onions and pickle; the “Cancun,” topped with chipotle aioli, guacamole and pico de gallo; the “Bangkok,” slathered with aioli and a crunchy Asian salad; the “Barcelona,” with garlic aioli, potatoes and tomatoes; and the “Vienna,” schnitzel (a breaded fried-chicken breast) in a pita with aioli, horseradish, pickles and lettuce.

Falafel, hummus and Israeli salad are some of the top sellers. Shakshuka, a Middle Eastern egg-and-tomato dish, is also popular at breakfast time (hot coffee is thrown in for a dime). And other than the $12 combo meals, which include fries and a small drink, the selections are under $10.

Elazar’ next goals are to offer gluten-free bread products, and eventually, Sunday brunch during the school year.

Though Chick-In isn’t currently a part of the official ASU meal plan, money can be deposited into a university account that issues cards students use to buy food from campus-approved stores and restaurants. According to Elazar, about 30 percent of sales have come from this system so far.

He is quick to note that the restaurant has become a destination for university staff and professors, families looking for an affordable kosher meal, out-of-towners and Arizona residents traveling from such places as Phoenix, Scottsdale and Chandler. International students at the university also find the new flavors appealing.

“We pride ourselves on welcoming everyone and taking great care of our guests,” says Elazar. “We make everything to order, providing pockets of freshness and flavor at the highest kosher standards.”

Because of its immediate success, Chick-In will stay open during the summer.

And that’s a good development, especially for freshman Neta Galili, who will have another three years to enjoy the food. “The rich flavors remind me of Israel,” says the native of Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv. “As I spend more time there, I meet many new Jewish students—students I hope will join the Chabad family. I really want the business to be successful.

“Nobody,” she quips, “can say no to Chick-In!”