“Meat” the new owners

When Beni Gliksberg pivoted from a successful career as a commercial real estate consultant to owner of a 100-plus-year-old kosher butcher shop, none of his friends were that surprised.

“They all know that I love meat,” Gliksberg quipped. The potential of it being an excellent business opportunity didn’t hurt either.

Several years ago, Gliksberg and his wife, Joanna, were thinking about moving from the city to the suburbs. As an observant family, moving to a vibrant Jewish community was of utmost importance and a kosher butcher shop was a key cornerstone for them.

“I was looking to go out on my own and buy something when I heard Michael Shaevitz had been wanting to close up his shop in Highland Park,” he said. Gliksberg is the youngest of four boys; he grew up on the North Shore and his mom was a frequent Shaevitz shopper. “I reached out to him and said, ‘Michael, can we keep this going? Let’s figure something out.’ It was a year-long process of just learning and talking to him and convincing him to let me take it from him.

“With family businesses, people get nervous about handing it over. But I think him knowing me gave him a lot of comfort,” Gliksberg added.

“The decision to sell was never easy,” said Michael Shaevitz, the previous owner. “After all, this is a Shaevitz family legacy over a 100-year span, beginning with my grandfather and father.”

Shaevitz believes Gliksberg is an ideal owner to take the business into the future because of his family’s long history of shopping at the store. “Because of Beni’s warm personality, dedication to family and the Jewish community, and business savvy, there was never a doubt that he was a good choice to keep the legacy alive,” Shaevitz said.

Gliksberg is a very hands-on owner and is at the store every day, interfacing with customers and working side-by-side with experienced staff. He and his wife, Joanna, are true partners in every sense, too.

“My biggest role is simply supporting Beni,” Joanna explained. “I also often taste-test at home and I am working behind the scenes on email, social, and print marketing. I’ll be helping with any renovations and design improvements, as well.”

Together, the Gliksbergs are committed to continuing in the Shaevitz tradition of delivering the highest quality kosher meats to the North Shore. At the same time, they are bringing additional new products to the shelves to create a true market experience for customers, offering a variety of delicious, pre-cooked options.

“We are hoping to make the butcher shop a less intimidating experience for those new or less experienced Shabbat dinner hosts,” Joanna said.

When it comes to the restaurant side of the business, they said they will maintain the excellence Shaevitz is known for while updating and improving that experience. They have added online ordering for pickup orders and are in the process of refining the menu and making the space more inviting for those dining in.

True to their dedication to community and ideals of being supportive of Jewish causes, Shaevitz has participated in several fundraisers since the Gliksbergs have taken over. During Chanukah, they donated all proceeds from latkes sold during the week to “Pizzas4Moms,” an organization that sends Israeli mothers and children meals while their husbands and fathers are away serving in the IDF.

“When October 7 happened, it was clear that we need to stand up, and figure out what we can do to help out,'” Gliksberg said. “We’re a small shop, but it’s more about showing support and the community aspect of getting people together and getting them excited to support Israel and make it meaningful.”

Indeed, the new owners of Shaevitz Market are serving up tasty kosher food and so much more.

Rochelle Newman Rubinoff is a freelance writer living in the northern suburbs of Chicago.