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Russ & Daughters facts for kids
| Russ & Daughters | |
|---|---|
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1914 |
| Current owner(s) | Josh Russ Tupper and Niki Russ Federman |
| Food type | appetizing store |
| Dress code | Casual |
| Street address | 179 E Houston Street |
| City | Manhattan |
| State | New York |
| Postal/ZIP code | 10002 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°43′21″N 73°59′18″W / 40.72259°N 73.98832°W |
| Other locations | Hudson Yards |
Russ & Daughters is a famous family-owned store that opened in 1914. It's known as an "appetizing store," which means it sells delicious foods like smoked fish, bagels, and other tasty items. You can find it at 179 East Houston Street in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The store has been in the same spot since 1920.
Contents
The Story of Russ & Daughters
How It All Began
The story of Russ & Daughters started with Joel Russ. He was a Jewish immigrant from Poland who came to Manhattan around 1905. Joel wanted to create a business that would serve the many Jewish immigrants settling in the Lower East Side.
He began by selling Polish mushrooms, carrying them on his shoulders. Joel saved enough money to buy a pushcart. Soon, he expanded his business to include pickled herring, a type of fish, along with his mushrooms. In 1914, Joel Russ opened his first small store, called J Russ International Appetizers. It was just around the corner from where the store is today.
A Family Business Grows
In 1920, Joel Russ moved his store to its current location at 179 East Houston Street. A big change happened in 1933 when he renamed the business "Russ & Daughters." He did this to make his three daughters, Hattie, Anne, and Ida, partners in the store.
Usually, businesses were named "and sons," but Joel only had daughters. His daughters had worked in the store since they were about 8 years old, helping out on weekends. After finishing high school, they all worked full-time. Joel kept the store open every day of the week.
Russ & Daughters in the Spotlight
Over the years, Russ & Daughters became very well-known. In the 1970s, a famous writer named Calvin Trillin wrote about the store in his food articles for The New Yorker magazine.
In 2008, a documentary film called The Jews of New York featured three generations of the Russ & Daughters family. It told the story of the store from its early days.
A book about the store, Russ & Daughters: Reflections and Recipes from the House That Herring Built, was published in 2013. It was written by Mark Russ Federman, Joel Russ's grandson.
In 2013, Russ & Daughters received the Jewish Cultural Achievement Award. It was the first restaurant ever to get this special award.
In 2014, another documentary film, The Sturgeon Queens, premiered. It featured Anne Russ Federman, who was 92, and Hattie Russ Gold, who was 100 years old at the time. "The Sturgeon Queens" was a loving nickname Joel Russ had for his daughters.
Today, Russ & Daughters is run by cousins Josh Russ Tupper and Niki Russ Federman. They are the fourth generation of the Russ family to manage the business.
In 2015, the New York state Senate honored Russ & Daughters with a special resolution. This was to celebrate the store's 100th anniversary.
New Locations Open
Russ & Daughters has expanded to a few other spots:
- In May 2014, Josh Russ Tupper and Niki Russ Federman opened the Russ & Daughters Café on Orchard Street.
- A Russ & Daughters restaurant opened inside the Jewish Museum in February 2016, but it has since closed.
- In early 2019, a large 18,000-square-foot location opened at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
- On July 18, 2023, a new 4,500-square-foot Russ & Daughters outpost opened near Hudson Yards.
See also
- List of Ashkenazi Jewish restaurants