Pomegranate Celebrates First Birthday with Special Events, Promotions & Prizes
By Mel Fabrikant Monday, August 10, 2009, 04:44 PM EDT
Pomegranate, the renowned gourmet marketplace in NYC, marks its first birthday with several days of fanfare including special events, promotions, prizes, tastings and a grand prize finale. The events start Sunday August 16, leading up to the one-year anniversary on August 19th.
On each day of the four-day celebration shoppers will automatically be entered to win a $500 gourmet shopping spree redeemable at the store. On august 19th, the first 1000 customers will receive a free gift valued at $10. Additionally, any customer that shares the same birthday with Pomegranate on August 19th will receive a $100 Pomegranate gift certificate. Customers will find yummy tastings, free samples and more throughout the store, culminating with the grand prize award of two round-trip tickets to Israel and a Weber BBQ grill on Aug 19th. (Visit the Customer Service desk for more details.)
The opening of the 20,000 square foot store, which runs one block long on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, NY, marked the beginning of a new chapter in the evolution of kosher food. One year ago the store introduced a large variety of upscale and hard-to-find kosher gourmet foods, three kitchens producing culinary inspired prepared foods, the widest selection of kosher cheeses, and kosher fish and meat of every variety, all set within a clean bright store featuring wide aisles, attention to customer service, and valet parking. It had many calling the store a kosher “Whole Foods,” as Pomegranate would change the face of the kosher food shopping experience forever. Saveur Magazine rated Pomegranate ‘one of the top ten supermarkets’ (kosher & non-kosher) in its 2009 review.
Eva, an avid Pomegranate shopper, echoed what many shoppers felt as the store approached its birthday: "This is a wonderful store. I love it. I shop here every day. They offer wonderful customer service and I find things here that I can’t find anywhere else.”
From the first day it opened its doors, store owner Abraham Banda put his unique vision into practice. “I wanted to transform shopping from a chore to an experience and food from a necessity to a culinary experience,” Said Banda. “Many of Pomegranate’s customers feel that the store has far exceeded my vision. “
After its grand opening in August of 2008, Pomegranate kicked off the shopping experience with complimentary tastings for their new shoppers. Month by month, the new all-kosher gourmet grocery increased their community involvement.
In addition to charitable contributions, a summer highlight for many locals was the Pomegranate BBQ, where shoppers were welcome to join in a mouthwatering skirt steak, chicken cutlet, and grilled vegetable dinner courtesy of Pomegranate. The store plans to offer culinary instructional classes, cooking demonstrations and more events in the coming year.
