Krispy Kreme doughnuts are getting a new audience in this area -- and it has nothing to do with a change in the local sweet tooth.
The outlet at the Century III Mall in West Mifflin has been certified kosher, which makes the goodies proper food on Jewish tables as well as puts the doughnuts on the plate for a new level of fund-raising.
"It means quite a lot," says Dr. Avrom Pollak, president of Star-K, an international kosher certification agency headquartered in Baltimore. "Even people who are not keeping kosher often will choose a kosher-approved food because they sense there is a higher quality involved."
The store went kosher April 18, the day after the holy day of Passover. Eric Williams, general manager of the site, says there has been great interest in the approval. A letter of certification has been posted and has drawn quite a bit of interest, he says.
The doughnuts also are used frequently in nonprofit fund-raisers, he points out, and in one hour on April 18, the store received 11 calls on that topic, all related to the certification.
Pollak, whose agency did the certification at Century III, points out there is no difference between non-kosher and kosher Krispy Kremes. The certification process is needed, however, to show a product meets all the standards involved.
Kosher comes from the word "kashrus," which means fit or proper in a religious sense. Guidelines forbid things such as cooking meat and milk together or using the same utensils on both.
Pollak says the Krispy Kreme certification clarifies that all the ingredients of the doughnuts are kosher as well as all of the equipment used in making and selling the product.
Williams says the store had to switch one beverage to a kosher-approved drink to meet the demands of the certification.
He says the Century III store was chosen because it is closest to the city, particularly the Squirrel Hill section, which has a large Jewish population.
He says there is talk of certifying the new Monroeville store, where groundbreaking is set for this morning.
Besides Century III, there are Krispy Kreme stores in Cranberry and Greensburg, Westmoreland County.
Pollak says kosher-certified Krispy Kreme outlets are not all that common. All sites in New York City are certified. The closest other sites are in Toronto, Ontario; Buffalo and Baltimore, he added,
Amber Kozler, fund-raising coordinator for the chain, says the kosher certification should add to Pittsburgh's reputation in that area.
There are more than 200 Krispy Kreme outlets in the United States and Canada, she says, and the Pittsburgh area finished second to Seattle in fund-raising sales.
She did not know how many fund-raisers there were in the area but estimated the amount at "quite a few dozen."
Kozler says an open house probably will be held at the Century III store sometime in May.
Information on fund-raising through the Century III store is available at (412) 650-9319 or (412) 371-7400.
