H eadlines
Caterer Offering COVID Tests at Events
L OCA L
JARRAD SAFFREN | JE STAFF
DANIEL ISRAEL, owner of
Deluxe Catering and Deluxe
Events in Philadelphia, wants
deluxe, catered events to come
back in full.

Israel has a major business
interest in making people feel
comfortable at big gather-
ings again. But he also feels
sympathy for customers who
end up in a situation he keeps
seeing during the omicron
stage of the pandemic.

“We’re getting events where
only half the people are saying
yes due to COVID,” Israel said.

To raise that number from
50% to 100, the owner is adding
a new feature to his parties:
rapid COVID tests.

Starting on Jan. 30, Deluxe
Catering and Deluxe Events
will offer tests to all guests
who want them. An individual
who wants a test will walk into
the lobby, take one, wait 15
minutes and then, if negative,
continue walking into the
party. Then for the rest of the night,
instead of fearing COVID, they
can just take their mask off,
dance and have fun.

“People can feel confident
going to an event,” he said.

Israel hosts
affairs throughout the Philadelphia
area. Business has been good
lately, but not as good as it
could have been.

Customers are still hesitant
about holding big events.

Often, even when they are
willing to have a lot of people,
it’s the people who are hesitant.

If only half of the invited
guests come, it creates an issue
for the caterer and planner that
accounted for the full party. It
also creates an awful feeling for
guests of honor like the bride
and groom, Israel said.

So rapid testing, according
to Israel, “is helpful for
everybody.” 8
JANUARY 20, 2022
A recent event catered by Daniel Israel
Israel will administer his
first set of tests in a little over
a week at a birthday party at
Lower Merion Synagogue.

After that, he will offer them
at other birthday parties,
weddings and any type of big
event he plans.

Hosts can decide whether
they want the planner to do
tests and whether they want
everyone to take them. Even
if they do not require tests,
Israel plans on making them
available to anyone who might
want one.

If a bride, groom or other
host wants everyone to take
tests, they can say so on their
invitations so people are more
inclined to say yes. All rapids
will be “free for the consumer,”
he said.

Israel is not sure how long
he will do this.

“COVID will tell us,” he
said. “We’ll do it as long as
Michelle Camperson Photography
necessary.” But he is sure that he has
the supplier: Pennpac Care, a
new company in Bala Cynwyd.

Pennpac offers PCR and rapid
tests with proof of health
insurance, passport or Social
Security number, according to
Hallie Schapiro, its director.

Pennpac unveiled
its Facebook page this month
and friended Israel, the caterer
in the Main Line commu-
nity. Shortly thereafter, Israel
messaged the company saying
he had to figure out testing for
his events.

Then, for a Jan. 15 gathering
Israel planned, guests had to
get tested the morning before.

The owner then decided to take
that idea a step further.

“I was like, ‘We should be
offering this for all events,’”
Israel said.

Israel already requires
masks and vaccinations for his
JEWISH EXPONENT
Daniel Israel 
employees who work events.

But now he will require them
to take these tests, too.

He does not expect pushback
from guests.

“At least not in the Jewish
world,” Israel said.

He also says venues are open
to the idea because they like to
prioritize safety, too.

“But usually we supply most
of the staff,” he said. “So it’s not
Michelle Camperson Photography
that big of a concern.”
A bigger concern is that,
almost two years into COVID,
we’re still not out of it.

“We want people to come
back out and socialize again,”
Israel concluded. “We can’t
force everybody to stay in for
too long.” l
jsaffren@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0740
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM