Adam Davidson has a fantastic piece in The New York Times Magazine touring the illustrious Streit’s matzo factory in the Lower East Side as he explores the economics of the matzo business. A niggling detail, however, will jump out at our long-time readers: when Davidson asks Aron Yagoda, Streit Prime’s great-grandson, why the company doesn’t move to a lower-cost state, Yagoda cites the necessity of remaining true to the company’s roots to the extent that “he’s content to have a smaller profit margin each year and bring home less than his grandparents and parents did.” Laudable!
What goes unmentioned is that in 2007, as Vox Tablet reported at the time, Streit’s put the factory on the market as the first step in, yes, relocating to New Jersey. A 2009 article reveals that the plans were put on hold after the real estate crash reduced the building’s value, but, noted another heir, “we will do this for five years, and we’ll revisit [selling].”
We can only hope they’ll stick around; next year in New Jersey just doesn’t have that special ring.
The Amazing Matzo Stimulus [NY Times Magazine]
Mixed Use [Downtown Express]
Earlier: Before the Exodus [Vox Tablet]