When Moshe Zalman and his wife, Miriam Golda, retired and made aliyah in 2011, they never imagined they would open Zalman’s, serving authentic across Israel. The couple decided to move from their home in Chicago to be close to their children, who had already made aliyah. Zalman sold his metal recycling business, and within six months the couple landed on Israeli soil.
Soon after arriving, they discovered one thing they greatly missed from their American lives: a good kosher hot dog. Seeing a gap in the market, Zalman and his wife began discussing the possibility of filling it. In 2020, they opened the first Zalman’s restaurant, bringing the foodstuff – as American as apple pie, conjuring up cookouts and baseball – to Israel.
The kosher eatery was an instant success. Customers began posting about it online, and soon enough everyone wanted to try a signature Zalman’s hot dog. Additionally, press surrounding it created a buzz and established Zalman’s as a “must-visit fast food destination,” Zalman told .
They opened the second location a year later in . Operating through takeout orders and delivery because of the pandemic, Zalman’s still saw steady and rapid growth. “We were the new guys on the block.
We created a different concept, and I think it was unique to Jerusalem,” Zalman said. Now – five years after its founding – Zalman’s has expanded to 10 locations in Israel and one in Chicago. In preparing to open the first Zalman’s, the couple worked w.
