From Steak and Mozzarella to Shabbat and Kosher: One Restaurant Owner’s Brave Leap

A Thriving Business Built on Seven-Day Success

For nearly sixteen years, Yuval Z. worked for the well-known Israeli restaurant chain Nafis. For the past decade, he managed the busy Ashdod branch, which boasted nearly 200 seats and served tens of thousands of locals and beachgoers every month. “Nafis is a major restaurant brand in Israel,” Yuval explained. “Each branch costs about 6 to 7 million shekels to launch.”

Yuval’s Ashdod location used to be open on Fridays and Saturdays, drawing massive crowds on weekends. “We were only closed five days a year—Yom Kippur, Tisha B’Av, Memorial Day, and the eves of Pesach and Rosh Hashanah,” he said. The restaurant offered both meat and dairy menus (kept separate but served under one roof), a flexibility that made it a family favorite.

After buying out his partner, Yuval became sole owner. “I worked day and night, literally 24/7. Business was booming. The profits were great, customers were happy, and the restaurant was thriving.” 

The Inner Struggle: Rest or Revenue?

But about a year ago, everything began to shift. A close friend began exploring religious observance, and Yuval started attending Torah lectures, particularly those of Rabbi Zamir Cohen. “Hearing his talks—and meeting him in person—deeply inspired me,” Yuval said. “I started feeling pulled toward closing the restaurant on Shabbat. Not just because of the halachic aspect, but because after sixteen and a half years of nonstop work, I wanted peace. I needed a real day of rest.”

Yet the decision wasn’t simple. Shabbat made up 50% of the restaurant’s revenue, nearly 400,000 shekels each weekend. “I also didn’t think it was even possible to make the place kosher. We served both meat and dairy. It felt like an impossible move.”

Yuval wrestled with the decision. “This was the hardest dilemma of my life. I knew that closing on Shabbat would change everything: supply chains, rent agreements, profit margins. It was a major gamble. I could end up twenty years behind financially.” 

Turning the Tide: Choosing Kosher, Inspiring a City

Eventually, Yuval made his choice. On the eve of Pesach, he announced the restaurant would become kosher. Billboards across Ashdod spread the news.

What Yuval didn’t know was that at that very moment, Ashdod was experiencing political tension over religious issues. His decision to go kosher became fuel for critics who claimed the city was becoming “too religious.” Some called for boycotts. “I understood their frustration—people were used to coming to us every weekend after the beach. But I believed in what I was doing and decided to ignore the noise.”

Transforming the restaurant was no easy task. Yuval leaned into Ashdod’s love for meat. “Even on Shavuot, which is traditionally dairy, our meat sales were higher. So we dropped dairy entirely and went with top-quality kosher meat. For the few dairy items we kept, like pizza, we used a plant-based mozzarella substitute. It’s expensive, but it tastes and feels like the real thing, and most customers can’t even tell.”

Recently, the Ashdod branch completed the transition to full mehadrin kosher certification. Yuval hopes to attract the city’s large religious population to help offset Shabbat losses. “Yes, we’ve lost some sales. The last month and a half has been tough.”

But he’s also seeing promise: “Over 50% of our customers now are new, many from Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and beyond. People tell us they dreamed of this day, of a kosher Nafis. I believe it’s just a matter of time before weekday business grows enough to make up for the weekends.”

Yuval recalls that the week before Pesach, right after announcing the change, was a powerful sign: “Crowds poured in. We worked from morning until 4 a.m. That’s the kind of success we’re aiming to build year-round.”

When Rabbi Zamir Cohen heard what Yuval had done, he praised the decision, calling it a profound sanctification of Hashem’s name. “If more branches follow his lead,” the rabbi said, “it will be thanks to him. The merit of the many depends on his courage.” 

A Risk Worth Taking

Yuval Z. chose to close his doors on his most profitable day. He turned away guaranteed income to honor something bigger. And though the road is uncertain, he’s already seeing blessings unfold. For many in Ashdod and beyond, his story is a source of hope, inspiration, and a reminder that sometimes, the boldest business decision is the one made with the soul.