June 19, 2017-Baltimore, MD- The sound of running water was in the background when I called Rabbi Sholom Tendler, tonight, shortly after 11 p.m. The STAR-K Kashrus Administrator was in the middle of koshering and checking salad greens, together with STAR-K mashgiach Eli Moskowitz, for the newest member of the STAR-K “family”—Filicori Zecchini.

The high-end quality Italian coffee shop chain which opened up at Towson Town Center in January of last year, had been under Rabbi Y. Zvi Weiss. According to Rabbi Tendler, Filicori Zecchini recently opened up a second location in downtown Baltimore that served sandwiches--which presented bishul challenges and necessitated vegetable checking, thereby requiring a mashgiach temidi. Its certification lapsed and, subsequently, the owners approached STAR- K so it could resume serving its kosher customers.

“We are koshering now, hoping to open up tomorrow, in both the Towson Town Center and 1 East Pratt Street locations, under the STAR-D,” noted Rabbi Tendler. “We will have a mashgiach temidi here, during all production hours. It will be STAR-D, non-Cholov Yisroel; all the fresh sandwiches are pre-packaged and double sealed by a mashgiach temidi present during all production hours. During the day, no cooking or sandwich production will take place. Platters and foodservice deliveries will also be available by special order. We are very excited to be working with Filicori Zecchini.”