New food services in Knesset
צילום: דלית שחם
Goodbye Knesset buffet, hello Coffee Shop
It has fed many prime ministers with its dietetic menu, ministers – deserts, and MKs vie especially for sandwiches. Mythological buffet operator, Motti Simha, is going home. MKs will receive food from coffee shop chain in his place
It is the end of an era in the Knesset: After 10 years, the current Knesset buffet will close its doors and the owner, Motti Simha, will have to say goodbye to the senior officials he has catered to all these years. The reason: The Knesset tender committeee decided Monday on a different contractor who will provide food services from now on to the elected officials.
The chosen company is L. Eshel, which operates various food services in public institutions throughout the country. At the same time, a secondary contractor will provide food services in the Knesset cafeteria is the coffee shop chain, Coffee Shop. From now on, prime ministers, ministers, members of Knesset, and their many guests will have to get used to a new menu, which, according to the new contractor, will be new and exciting.
The one who will truly miss the old buffet is the outgoing owner of the buffet, Motti Simha, who still hasn't had his last word on the subject. Monday, he agreed only to note that "we have yet to receive an official decision on the matter."
However, in interviews given by the employees of the buffet, they spoke of nostalgic experiences that have become part of the work – along with the various culinary requests of the Knesset members: "The latest trend is diets, and we try to accommodate ourselves to the diners," one of the workers told Yediot Aharonot about a half a year ago. "We have fresh sandwiches and salads, and of course deserts, because not everyone is on a diet."
One of the most loved diners, according to the employees, is former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon: "We don't usually mention names lest we insult someone, heaven forbid, but Sharon was a very special person, exceptionally polite, who was nice to everyone – from the waiters to the servers. He was just not a typical person. However, Knesset members are just like any other group of people: there are those who are nicer than others. There is no difference between MKs from the right and MKs from the left. It all depends on their personality."
The past year was particularly difficult for the buffet: In the time span of a year, from April '05 to April '06, the Knesset was on recess for eight months. This was due to the unplanned elections recess in addition to the regular vacations of the MKs. So it happened that the ownership suffered unexpected losses, according to him.
The new center will be under the direction of Knesset director-general, Avi Balashnikov, after years of being under the direction of the current operator.
