Glick’s open number nine

THE Glick’s bagel has arrived at Southland, with the iconic kosher bakery this week opening the doors of its ninth store.

The aroma of freshly baked challah begun permeating the Westfield shopping centre in Cheltenham on Tuesday, though the ceremonial bread will not be a staple at this store.

“There will be 42 seats available in what will primarily be a cafe, serving bagels, muffins and lots of our other things,” Glick’s Bakery managing director Nathan Glick explained.

Approached by Westfield when an appropriate space became available, he said they were keen to take up the new position, located outside the main mall area making it possible to remain closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.

He said the intention to open within a major shopping centre has been on the cards for some time, after a planned store in Chadstone Shopping Centre failed at the last minute in July 2008 when an agreement couldn’t be reached over Shabbat and Jewish holiday closures.

Westfield Southland centre manager Fiona Mackenzie was enthusiastic about the store opening, which she said would bring the centre a “point of difference”.

“Glick’s is a Melbourne institution, and is already so well known by Jewish and non-Jewish customers,” Mackenzie said.

“As such, we expect existing loyal Glicks’ customers will make it a point to visit the store, and that a whole generation of new customers will taste the product and become Glick’s loyalists.”

Southland has also allocated the bakery two designated parking bays to make popping in to buy bread easy.
And what does Mendel Glick, family patriarch and bakery founder, think of the new store?

“He’s very excited and has given it his blessing,” Nathan said.

The first in a major shopping centre, Southland is Glick’s seventh Victorian store and ninth nationally, with shops in Sydney’s Bondi and St Ives.

Melbourne locations include Bentleigh, Elsternwick, Malvern, South Melbourne, the CBD and the flagship Balaclava store.

Caption: Glick’s founder Mendel Glick at the kosher bakery chain’s newest shop at Southland. Photo: Peter Haskin.

DALIA SABLE