Start spreading the news…Ess-a-Bagel has made its way from New York to Tidewater.
Baker’s Crust Bagel, a new concept by restauranteur John Stein, is now open at The Shops at Hilltop. The eatery features a full menu of Ess-a-Bagel bagels, deli sandwiches, and Three Ships Coffee, along with side options, including pickles, coleslaw, and assorted salads and desserts.
In the restaurant business for 31 years, Stein reminisces about Mike’s Deli on Colley Ave. in Ghent, where the corned beef was sliced to order. “I always had in my mind to bring that back to the area,” he says. And now, he is on his way.
Since Stein was already buying Ess-a-Bagel bagels for his other restaurants, he approached the owners about opening a local store, and they were willing.
Established in New York City in 1976 by an Austrian Jewish baking family, Ess-a-Bagel has a loyal following in New York and beyond. For Baker’s Crust Bagel, Ess-a-Bagel’s bagels are mixed, hand-shaped, and boiled in New York – but baked in Virginia. “It’s an authentic New York bagel,” Stein says.
The Hilltop location is a bit different from the old-style New York deli, Stein points out. He purposely designed the location to be a brighter, happier space. Bagels are not the only menu item fashioned from New York; the pastrami comes from Carnegie Deli (cooked on-site), and the belly nova is sliced thin like Katz’s Deli.
“We take great pride in being authentic. A lot of care and love goes into our product,” Stein says.
Stein also serves as president of Baker’s Crust, a chain of restaurants with artisan kitchens, and he owns Virginia Beach’s Quemar wood fired cocina, a casual restaurant serving Latin American and Mexican cuisine.
Since Baker’s Crust Bagel resides next door to CycleBar, an indoor cycling workout studio, Stein added healthier options to the menu. Acai bowls and smoothies add to the assortment (Stein’s favorite is PB Power Up), and he even sources the artisan granola from out-of-state. “These additions make our bagel store special. We are offering more than a bagel sandwich.” Ten varieties of seltzer-whipped cream cheese, made from fresh ingredients, populate the assortment.
Stein also mentions that customers are grateful for the gluten-free bagels, which come from New Jersey. Although the bagels are pricier to import, Stein wants the offering on his menu at an affordable price.
“A lot goes on behind the scenes that people are unaware of,” he says. Growing pains include adjusting from a full-service operation, like Baker’s Crust restaurants, to the fast-casual model of a bagel store. Kiosks and hand-held ordering devices are available, although customer service remains a top priority.
Some customers, he says, are already returning two, three, and four times each week.
Looking ahead, Stein says he envisions an open drive-thru location as part of an expansion of Baker’s Crust Bagel. As their website proclaims, it’s possible to “escape to a New York state of mind at Baker’s Crust Bagel” without ever leaving Tidewater, and perhaps in the future, even without leaving the car.
