CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — There is a little store in Crown Heights that is doing more than everyone else. Located on the upper end of Albany Avenue, neighboring a popular string of shops including the Bentzi’s Gourmet and Mimulo Flowers; Mr Greens, popular fresh produce store is preparing for the approaching Passover Holiday in numerous way.
Apart from deliveries of thousands of pounds of romaine lettuce, used during this holiday as bitter herbs, a remembrance of the Hebrews bitter times in Egypt; Mr Greens is preparing to send over a thousand boxes of fresh produce to needy families in the Crown Heights area to alleviate some of the holiday’s financial burden. Mr Shloimie Klein, a partner of Mr Greens believes his shop is doing a small part in easing the financial turmoil that Pesach can bring.
Continued in the Extended Article.
Passover Price-Gouging Tolerated in Crown Heights?
CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — There is a little store in Crown Heights that is doing more than everyone else. Located on the upper end of Albany Avenue, neighboring a popular string of shops including the Bentzi’s Gourmet and Mimulo Flowers; Mr Greens, popular fresh produce store is preparing for the approaching Passover Holiday in numerous way.
Apart from deliveries of thousands of pounds of romaine lettuce, used during this holiday as bitter herbs, a remembrance of the Hebrews bitter times in Egypt; Mr Greens is preparing to send over a thousand boxes of fresh produce to needy families in the Crown Heights area to alleviate some of the holiday’s financial burden. Mr Shloimie Klein, a partner of Mr Greens believes his shop is doing a small part in easing the financial turmoil that Pesach can bring.
Continued in the Extended Article.
In the Crown Heights neighborhood, thousands suffer from the heavy expenses of Pesach, this year things have taken a turn for the worse due to the current economic crisis. Most regular citizens are cutting expenditure and ‘doing with less’, all the while suppliers and store owners in Crown Heights and the neighboring vicinities are raising their prices to astronomical figures particularly this time of year, when Passover products enter shelves.
“The extortion of prices prior to Pesach has grown ridiculously in the past few years,” Klein remarks, “where marketers exploit the consumer knowing they have no choice other than to buy goods stamped ’Kosher for Passover’ at sky-high prices.” Many Crown Heights residents are flailing under the burdensome weight of making Pesach this year, unable to afford basic necessities and certainly not the price gouging techniques of many shop owners.
The recent ban that was just released signed by thirty prominent Rabbinic bodies, went so far as to “prohibit” the Passover stampede of price inflation in the community. Although lacking signatures from the Crown Heights Rabbinate, Klein believes it is a lesson Crown Heights shop owners can take to heart. In these turbulent economic times, it’s time to care for our brothers and sisters who “scratch to put dinner on the table at night.”
In addition to assisting over one hundred families in the community bi-annually before the Pesach and Sukkos holidays, Klein, and his partners, sell produce at cost prices to Rebbeim and teachers in Oholei Torah before these festivals. While Klein says he is aware of some of the families who receive produce packages, the majority of families that Mr Greens helps, he is unaware of.
Recently, Assemblyman Dov Hikind announced that four major distributors agreed to reduce or maintain prices for their Pesach items this year, including Mr Shneur Bistritzky of the Ahava Food Company. Bistritzky said he did it out of his commitment to his fellow Jews and in light of the fiscal hardships confronting many in our community.
Klein believes that it is the imperative of Crown Height’s merchandiser’s and store owners to “stop this foul dominion on our residents. It is time to wake up and help those who don’t have enough food to feed themselves. Reduce your prices and help your community make Pesach this year.”
Former CHer
The owners of MR Greens have been doing this for years and one of the partners was doing it before the store came to be.People like these are true baalai chessed and a community like Crown Heights should be honored to have them.
(in addition to doing this Mr Klien is also a volunteer for CH Shomrim and chesed shel emes.
To you and all the other selfless people who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes helping others and never asking for a thing in return, My god bless you and your families with everything they need and want.
Secret Admirer
Shloimie, we are so proud of you! Keep up the great work
Wishful shopper
It’s very nice that Shloimie Klein is giving out produce to the needy people in CH; however it would also be more accomodating to EVERYONE in CH if he would lower his prices. His produce is top notch, but so are his prices!!
Crown street customer
They are the nicest people to buy from! Remember how they rallied round their Spanish delivery guy when he was badly hurt in an accident? Whenever I go in, even for 1 item, I am always treated with respect & if I have any questions about the fruit & veg they are answered fully.
And their produce is always the highest quality. No I am not a relative, just a satisfied customer on Crown Street.
avi
Written very well.. Thank You Mr Greens
tj
btw, the rabbonim signed letter to all shop owners pleading not to higher prices, bentching them if they listen… many rabbonim signed.30 of them. and none weere lubaviitch.
THANK YOU!
amazing work mr. greens- may Hashem continue to give you a lot of success in your business!
yochanon bruk
thank you mr.greens you keep the greens$ in our pockets
thanx so much
yochanon bruk
MOSHE PINSON FOUNDER BEIS SHMUEL
LETS ALL NOT FORGET THE MAN WHO STARTED THIS ALL
WE ALL OWE A SPECAIL THANK YOU TO MR G AND FAMILY MR KLEIN IS A PARTNER LIKE IM A PARTNER MR GORDON GAVE HIS LIFE TO HELPING PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND HIS LIFE LIVES ON
THANK YOU TO THE GORDON FAMILY
witheld
Mr. Greens may be more expensive…but many times I compare with friends and some items are lower or the same.
Additionally, some things are just better from there, perhaps you can get away with veggies from somewhere else, but fruits are way more enjoyable when they are sweet and just right, as Mr. Green’s has.
It is also a pleasure to shop in a store that is organized, pretty and you don’t feel like you’re forced to buy!
I’m sure that Shmuly Brummel makes some commission, how else would he support a whole family? yet, you don’t get the feeling that he’s pushing items onto you, and several times he even told me , no, the cantalopes are not good today etc.
Sometimes being an honest, nice, simple person can get you way further than being an obnoxious and rude businessman.
Appreciative Customer!
Good on you Mr greens! your year long customer service, especially surrounding the busy yom tovs is truly one a kind in this neighbourhood! and I believe all shop owners/workers should take a page out of Mr Greens book! It is really appreciated by your customers! thank you and much hatzlacha!
Jay jay
Thank you for your headline after reading the first few lines it implies that Mr.Greens is price gouging for Pesach which is not the case. Editors need to be much more careful.
Wishing every one A Freilichen and kosheren Pesach to all.
Keep up the good work!!
friend of shmulys
shmuly Brummel. remember—–he is the man!
Landlord
When I first started shopping at Mr. Greens I thought the prices were high until I realized I wasn’t throwing away 30% of my purchases any more like I did when I was shopping at the other CH produce shops. Mr Greens stuff are fresher and simply last longer.
Anyone that thinks they are expensive should think about whether net-net they are coming out ahead when they are buying inferior products at others.
CH consumer
To: “Wishful Shopper”,
As a CH consumer, I know that carrying fresher, nicer stuff comes with a price. Unfortunately, there are stores where you can buy tomatoes for cheaper but you end up throwing out a few (which I did) because it didnt last long. Now if you backtrack and see how many tomatoes you threw out your price will be higher for the actual tomatoes you used. Simple math. The only difference is, Mr. Greens will sell nicer stuff bottom line. And from experience, they have great service in the event something is wrong with your purchase. So when the price is right make sure the stuff is too. And believe it or not, some items are CHEAPER Because they dont price gouge.
to Wishful shopper
If you dont like it, shop else where. no one is forcing you to shop at Mr greens. Its typical, after Webby writes a wonderfull article thanking people for the wonderful mitvoth that they do, some one has to say something negative. Realy cont we all just get along