A Moroccan Israeli fast casual concept with locations in Arverne and Rockaway Beach will soon be opening an additional location in Howard Beach.
Claudette’s offers breakfast plates, pitas, acai bowls, salads, koftas, as well as a wide variety of juices, and coffees. Claudette’s namesake is Claudette Flatow who’s tradition of hosting Friday night Shabbat dinners open to everybody inspired the creation of Claudette’s.
A feature story by Rockaway’s The Wave shines a light on Claudette’s background. She grew up with six siblings in Morocco before moving to France and then Israel. She has been a chef at many restaurants and operated her own restaurant Cuisine by Claudette for many years as well. Claudette’s is a family operation through and through. Her sons John and Yarden Flatow play a major role in the business.
What Now NY connected with Claudette’s managing partner Yarden Flatow to learn more about the plans for the space.
“There are a couple of sayings that our mom always repeats and we’ve baked them into our brand,” said Flatow. “ Breaking Bread which represents inclusivity and the symbolic act of sharing food with your neighbors. Zest for Life which is a ‘joie de vivre’ – a passion to live, act, and move. Everybody Eats which, to us, means that when you step into our home you never leave with an empty heart or an empty belly. Last, and maybe most important, is Family Away from Family – since our childhoods (and way before that for our mother), we’ve embraced concepts that are foundational in the hospitality world, our guests, our staff, our neighbors, and our friends are all treated like family!”
Inside there are approximately 20 seats for guests, but the team at Claudette’s plans to host regular Shabbat dinners for all with a long communal table they will set up for weekly meals. The overall environment of Claudette’s, whether you are coming in for a quick meal or a community gathering, is welcoming and bright.
“We really leaned on what we know for the design,” said Flatow. “Colors that are familiar to us, tiles that reminded us of home. The main goal here was to create something nostalgic for us so that we can do the best job of sharing it. We used these white mosaic tiles for the backsplashes behind the counter, and inlaid these beautiful deep burgundy Moroccan zellij tiles as accents throughout our serving bar, which is covered in these fun, and whimsical, pink tiles.”
One of Flatow’s favorite dishes at the moment is a bowl with spicy salmon, seasonal roasted vegetables, matboucha, jalapeno, and garlic spread popular in Morocco and Israel. People can try this dish at the new space at Howard Beach. This third open location of Claudette’s will offers people in Queens who have grown to love the brand’s creations an additional spot to pick up a healthy breakfast or lunch dish.
“I think the Howard Beach community cares deeply about family and eating clean and healthy,” said Flatow. “Those are two core facets of the Claudette’s concept, and I’m sure we won’t just fit right in, we’ll stand out!”
Claudette’s at Howard Beach will have a soft opening in July.
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