Scaling New Heights: Chop Chop’s Kosher Success
- eileen strauss
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Chop Chop has become more than just a Washington Heights local hotspot for Asian Sushi and Catering; it’s an example of how a restaurant can grow into a recognizable brand without losing its invididuality.
For 15 years, Chop Chop has served as a cornerstone for local diners, Yeshiva University students, and kosher food enthusiasts across the New York City area. Its growth is the result of carefully balancing quality, operational discipline, and strategic expansion, making it a model for restaurant owners looking to build both reach and reputation.
Chop Chop, Built on Quality and Strict Kosher Guidelines
Chop Chop has positioned itself around strict Glatt Kosher supervision and a commitment to the highest quality ingredients. Guided by Chef Matthew Chan, the kitchen fuses Chinese and Japanese traditions with influences from Thailand, Malaysia, and beyond, all adapted to meet kosher requirements.
Every Dish, Every Standard
At Chop Chop, nothing is pre-prepped or sitting under a heat lamp. Every order starts fresh, with crisp produce, top-quality meats under Lubavitcher supervision, and accommodations for gluten-free or other dietary needs. That balance of care and consistency is what makes the kitchen stand out. It shows that discipline behind the scenes doesn’t kill creativity; it makes it possible.
From Local Hotspot to Catering Powerhouse
The Rutta family always thought bigger than four walls. Over time, Chop Chop’s kitchen grew into a catering operation serving clients as far as Boston and the Hamptons.
Weddings, bar mitzvahs, shivas, corporate gatherings, private dinners—you’ll find Chop Chop there. Menus are built around the client, logistics are tight enough to keep food hot and fresh even on long hauls, and the experience feels consistent whether it’s lunch for 50 or a simcha for 300. For other restaurateurs, it’s proof that catering can be a growth engine without watering down the brand.
Excellence Behind the Scenes
None of this happens by accident. Chef Chan oversees the daily systems that keep the operation smooth, from fresh prep and sourcing to streamlined stations designed to handle both dine-in and catering orders. And he always greets his guest with a smile and a "Baruch Hashem" (Blessed be G-d).
Even on the slowest summer days when Yeshiva students (his biggest fan base) are away on break, Chan keeps himself busy arranging door-to-door deliveries in neighborhoods across the city and beyond.
Staff are cross-trained to move seamlessly between the two sides of the business, and client communication is handled with the same precision as the cooking. The result? Consistency that scales.
This backbone of efficiency makes Chop Chop not just successful, but replicable — a point of inspiration for owners looking to scale without losing quality.
Chop Chop leverages Sauce to power its delivery operations, turning off-premise dining into a reliable revenue stream. By using the platform’s logistics and customer management tools, the team maintains control over food quality, brand consistency, and service standards—proof that delivery can scale without diluting the restaurant’s identity.
Beyond Washington Heights: The Rutta Family Entities
Chop Chop is part of a broader group of Rutta Family entities, each concept reflecting a different side of kosher dining while sharing the same commitment to quality. Ownership is led by Richard Rutta, with Allan Pisarz serving as Chief Visionary Officer across the group.
Balancing Dairy and Meat in South Florida
Hollywood Sara's: Dairy with a Lighter Touch
In Hollywood, FL, Richard Rutta and Allan Pisarz opened Hollywood Sara's, a dairy-based, vegetarian-friendly kosher spot. Known for pizzas that never see a microwave and comfort dishes with a lighter spin, it delivers the same high quality as Chop Chop while offering a different dining experience.
Burnt: Meat and Smoke with Kosher Integrity
On the other side of the plate, Burnt, on Glades Rd. in Boca Raton, turns up the heat with a full meat menu led by partner and head chef Shmully, who can always be seen coming out of the kitchen to greet and hang out with gusets.
This South Florida smokehouse is bold and flavorful, but still rooted in strict kosher standards. Together, Burnt and Hollywood Sara’s show how the Rutta family balances both sides of kosher dining—meat and dairy—while keeping quality and tradition front and center.
Also on Glades Road in Boca Raton, The Schnitzel Sandwich Shoppe adds crispy schnitzel sandwiches for families on the go. All three leverage Sauce to power pickup and delivery, ensuring meals reach customers hot, fresh, and consistent; proof that growth and quality can scale together.
Looking Ahead: Eyes on New Jersey
Next up is growth in New Jersey, where the family plans to carry their mix of discipline, creativity, and kosher commitment into new markets.
Chop Chop isn’t currently leaving Washington Heights, but the brand has its eyes set on the future, with plans in motion for an eventual expansion to New Jersey, chosen for its strong kosher dining community.
The approach is deliberate: peserve what works, keeping core menus and quality standards intact.
Scaling Kosher Delivery with Sauce
For the Rutta family, delivery isn’t an afterthought—it’s a growth channel. By powering Chop Chop, Hollywood Saras, Burnt and The Schnitzel Shoppe through Sauce, they’ve turned off-premise dining into a consistent revenue stream across New York and South Florida.
The platform gives each concept the logistics and customer management tools needed to scale delivery while protecting what matters most: kosher integrity, food quality, and brand consistency.
Take Away
For the Rutta family, Chop Chop was never just about serving food—it was about serving the community. That focus turned one neighborhood restaurant into a multi-market brand.
With kosher integrity at its core and a careful approach to growth, Chop Chop has become both a Washington Heights staple and a roadmap for restaurants looking to expand without losing their roots.
Rutta Family Entities
Chop Chop 501 W 184th St, New York, NY
Hollywood Saras 3944 N 46th Ave, Hollywood, FL
The Schnitzel Shoppe 8177 Glades Rd, Boca Raton, FL
By Eileen Strauss
