Situated at the food truck section of the Saturday morning Durham Farmer’s Market is a foldout table with several pastries (the most popular products are vegan hand pies and chocolate babka) with their suggested prices.
Self-described as a “data-driven, open-sourced, sliding-scale food concept,” Berenbaum’s was conceptualized by Ari Berenbaum, who currently works in public health at Duke.
“I grew up in a very typical suburban, Boston and Jewish household. There were four or five really good Jewish bakeries in my town,” said Berenbaum. When he came to the Triangle in 2003 for graduate school, he found it harder to find the same quality of baked goods.
This food concept, then, recreates the tastes from Berenbaum’s youth and memory. There are the staples: challah and French bread. There are the twists on some classics: walnut raisin mandel bread and superfood salad. There are the vegan treats: BBQ tofu savory hand pies and vegan Chips Ahoy cookies.
The goods are all baked at Ninth Street Bakery. “We try to focus on goods that you can’t find in other places,” explained Berenbaum. “We use flours to make Jewish and vegan treats that aren’t anywhere else. Uniqueness of that kind of product is essential, and we try to keep it original.”
Berenbaum takes the stand beyond originality and toward another defining and integral aspect: attainability.
“Portability and accessibility are key tenants,” Berenbaum explained. Back when he was the production manager for Ninth Street Bakery, Berenbaum could only afford 10 dollars per visit to the Farmer’s Market. That’s when he decided to aim toward more affordable goods for consumers. Berenbaum’s began with a “pay-what-you-like” system influenced by “One World Everybody Eats,” a foundation whose mission is to eliminate world hunger and food waste, as well as to create food. The point was to pay what you could afford, or to pay what you thought appropriate. Over time, Berenbaum’s began to list suggested prices.
“Some people were a little hesitant about what to pay,” explained Berenbaum. “Most of the Farmer’s Market customers are generous and affluent. It’s really a small percentage of people that we’re driving the models for.”
Aside from the modest but meaningful Saturday food stand, Berenbaum’s also runs bike deliveries to Old West Durham and Watts Hillandale. The program has been fairly successful, providing an opportunity to meet community members he wouldn’t otherwise have interacted with. Adding even more to the charm is that one of Berenbaum’s employees—all of whom are now paid—is a sixth-grade delivery boy.
“We include as many people as possible,” Berenbaum said, referring to both employees and customers. “The process is transparent. We see what is working and what hasn’t been working. There’s been lots of changes since 2011, and we’re thinking hard about what enterprise we want to be.”
Berenbaum’s blog well exemplifies the frank baker-to-buyer relationship. It covers everything from menu items to music tracks to the science behind why fermented foods keep you skinny. There’s a blog post devoted to each week of Berenbaum’s running shop—now upwards of 100—with a recap of their products and a shout-out to their crew.
Most remarkable is the candidness and familiarity of the blog. Berenbaum posts recipes and customers’ photos. There’s a great deal of humility, with reflections on lessons learned from customers and future goals.
“I think we could have a higher degree of inclusivity,” said Berenbaum. “So much of [Berenbaum’s] depends on my schedule and what we’re currently doing.” He also mentioned the possibility of a small café or bakery, as well as building up a pop-up restaurant.
Berenbaum has already helped put together and run a Pop-Up Ramen Shop this past February. The popup restaurant, a novelty made possible by the thriving Durham foodie community, was open for a grand total of five hours. The popup creates a unique environment for diners as well as creative freedom for its chefs. It’s a part of a new dining phenomenon and food culture to which Berenbaum’s policy alludes and builds upon.
“On any given weekend, four to five food trucks are out there,” said Berenbaum. “It’s great for people to start a food business on a small amount of money. Popping up a stand is really easy and was successful for us.”
For potential Duke foodies, Berenbaum nods toward the Durham community: “Try getting off campus to the Farmer’s Market. There’s a whole other scene that’s bubbling up.”
More information can be found at http://www.berenbaums.com.
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