The original owner and namesake of the bakery, deli and restaurant sold Shirley’s about 17 years ago. Five years later the the new owners merged with Mamela’s.

This week, new owners Lionel Marcus and Gerald Rubin have re-branded Shirley’s to PK’s, for Passionately Kosher. And that’s exactly what these two well-known food fundis promise to deliver to the kosher community.

In December 2007 podiatrist and wholesale butcher Gerald Rubin bought the business. About six months later Gerald took in the owner of Soul Restaurant as a partner and Shirley’s/ Soul was born. The partner managed the business.

Earlier this year, Gerald’s partner left to pursue other interests – but not before arousing considerable community curiosity by offering his half-share of the business on the JJCF social site for the princely sum of R1 – plus the assumption of R1-million in debt!

Gerald asked the Beth Din to step in and an arrangement was made whereby Gerald would take back the half share and himself assume the business’s considerable debt.

I was a shmuck!

The simple question MyShtetl posed to Gerald this week was: “Why?” Why take on millions in debt as against letting the business go under? It didn’t really seem to make sense that a savvy businessman would take such action.

“Three reasons,” said Gerald who had clearly been answering this question with some regularity. “Stubborn pride; the fact that my name is on the Beth Din license and I own other kosher businesses; and, like a shmuck, I was the surety for most of the debt in any case.”

After a moment’s thought, Gerald added the following: “And because of how my late Bobba told me how to do business – always told me that everything has to be paid for, in one way or another.”

From meat to feet, and back

Gerald Rubin was brought up by his Bobba, who worked in the family butchery business, who taught him everything he knows about business. Young Gerald later studied to be a podiatrist.

Years later, the wheel turned as it so often does, and Gerald found himself in the kosher butchery business himself. He bought Wachenheimer’s Butchery.

Lionel Marcus comes on the scene

Popular businessman and Waverley Shul committee-member Lionel Marcus heard about Gerald’s predicament when the managing partner left and approached Gerald about becoming involved in Shirley’s.

“We agreed that I would run the shop for two months, starting on 1 May,” says Lionel, “and I would then decide if I felt it was something I could make work.”

By 1 July Lionel had decided to become a half partner in the business. “The quality of the product and the staff is outstanding,” Lionel explains. “The customers love it.”

Lionel, who is accomplished as both a businessman and a food fundi, says: “I can maintain this quality, I could never create it.” He says the long-serving and highly qualified staffers, some dating back to the days of original owner Shirley, are magnificent.

Shirley’s was situated in the heart of Norwood with ample free parking, says Lionel. It is the only premises licensed by the Beth Din to produce Milchic (Chalav Yisrael), Fleishik (Mehadrin Commission) and Parev. “Of course we can’t supply all three in the same place,” explains Lionel. Milchik is only to eat off the premises.

Lionel promises that PK’s will maintain the famous quality and portion sizes of its predecessors. Like their Burgers, which are delicious and massive. “Nobody finished one of our burgers easily,” says Lionel.

They are also famous for their Hot Beef on Rye (which is of their own-baked rye and uses only top-quality Wachenheimers beef).

Their bakery counter boasts the best Latkes, Apple Pie and Cheese Blintzes – the latter is so popular that they take orders of up to 2000 at a time!

Also famous and sold by the thousands is their Sushi. “I challenge anyone to find better sushi anywhere in Joburg,” says Lionel defiantly. “People eat our sushi in the restaurant, become take away customers and end up ordering literally thousands of pieces for functions.”

Lionel has also pledged to continue to prepare the deli’s famous prepared take-home meals. In fact, he says with some mystery, watch for what’s coming in chickens. Further than that he remains tight-lipped, but he promises he has some big surprises in store.

Changes and Chickens

But that’s not all Gerald and Lionel have up their sleeves for PK’s. They are ringing in the changes.

Lionel found that in general the restaurant’s night trade was not profitable. So he has closed down all nights except Wednesday’s.

Wednesday nights are Sushi nights. They serve a limited a la carte menu for those that prefer, but lately non-sushi customers are few and far between. Especially since they introduced their all-you-can-eat deal at R110 – with no limits on how much Sashimi you can have.

Also new... or old... well, back, are Mezunot rolls and bread. “Shirley’s lost a lot of customers when they stopped offering Mezunot,” says Lionel. “They are so happy to hear we have changed back!”

It seems that Gerald and Lionel are set to take PK’s back to the heights of the old Shirley’s, and then some.

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