The other day we mentioned that Streit’s Matzo, a Lower East Side fixture since 1925, has decided to stay in the neighborhood for now. This morning, we spoke with Alan Adler, director of operations for Sreit’s matzo. He said that after putting the Rivington Street manufacturing plant on the market several months ago, they received what he called “a good offer.” But some members of the board wanted more – so Streit’s decided to stay put for the time being.
Adler, great grandson of company founder Aron Streit, explained some of the limitations of the LES plant. Packed into four converted tenament buildings, there’s not enough space for the large matzo-making equipment they need to stay competitive. The buildings are only about 100 feet deep. Right now, the warehouse is in New Jersey. If they had chosen to move, all of Streit’s operations would have been consolidated.
Adler acknowledged that, given the company’s deep roots on the LES, moving away would have been an emotional decision. While they’re not ruling out the possibility in the future, Adler said the company is focusing on making the current baking facility work as well as possible.
Earlier: Mitch Weinstein’s tour of the Streit’s baking facility.
