Kosher Food and Drink

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By

Kenny Friedman

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UPDATE: Baltimore’s Seven Mile Market Puts Groundbreaking New Membership Requirement Policy On Hold

Original Story

December 3, 2025–Baltimore’s Seven Mile Market, the largest all-kosher supermarket in the United States, has announced a policy change due to an increasing series of incidents in the store.

In a letter to customers, Seven Mile Market management announced that they will require either a membership card or picture identification displayed to “a store clerk” to enter the store, effective January 5, 2026. The policy change is to “enhance … safety and security for our customers and employees” due to people who “enter our store who do not belong here for a variety of reasons.” Membership is free and can be completed on an online application at the following link: Seven Mile Customer Membership Link.

Seven Mile Market (Credit: commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44342365)

Seven Mile Market has been in its current location at 201 Reisterstown Road since November 16, 2010, when it moved from its previous location at 4000 Seven Mile Lane, which it occupied since 1988. The current location, formerly a Safeway, is the largest all-kosher supermarket in the United States at 55,000 square feet. The store was born from a small grocery run by family patriarch, Jack Boehm, and was first in the Pimlico neighborhood before moving to Upper Park Heights, in the building which has housed Tov Pizza since.

Seven Mile Market’s old location on Seven Mile Lane (Credit: commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31350931)

According to an anonymous retail industry insider, these policies have been necessitated to a major recent increase in shoplifting in the area, with little or no ability to catch and prosecute the accused.

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Responses to “UPDATE: Baltimore’s Seven Mile Market Puts Groundbreaking New Membership Requirement Policy On Hold”

  1. Sandee Katz

    I would like to be put on your EMAIL list as I got this info from another friend. I totally support 7Mile Market. And I understand the original reason to implement a policy for security reasons.

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  2. Sandee Katz

    I am a neighborhood supporter of the 7 Mile Market. I understand your original decision to institute identification. I also understand your decision to put this policy on hold…for a while.

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  3. G

    While I am a frequent shopper at Seven Mile Market, I’m both shocked and disappointed that such a measure seems necessary. Considering the demographic diversity in the neighborhood, I understand some people’s anxiety and another group’s obvious support, regardless of the public’s opinion. We live in a different world than just a few years ago. Any appearance of abandoning policies that embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion has PR consequences.

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    1. David Zakar

      I’ll say this as someone who was very critical of this policy when they announced it: I understand the need for extreme measures. They are getting eaten alive by retail theft, and there’s no help coming from the government. Having good PR, but closing the store due to unsustainable losses, doesn’t really benefit the community.

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