By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
PopUp Bagels opened this past Saturday at 338 Columbus Avenue on the corner of West 76th Street. Over the weekend there were lines heading out the storefront – which used to be a Starbucks – and PopUp takes a unique approach to managing the flow: a “Bagel Bouncer” walks the line to take customers’ orders, writing them on a paper bag in Sharpie. Once customers reach the front, they hand their bag over at the counter, pay, and then are handed back their bag full of hot bagels and containers of schmear. “Our opening weekend was truly amazing,” wrote founder Adam Goldberg in a message to West Side Rag. “All of our new neighbors were so excited to be there and can’t wait for more good times.”
Unlike most bagel shops, PopUp does not make the sandwich for you. Instead, they sell whole bagels (three or more to an order) and containers of cream cheese in different flavors, as well as pesto butter. PopUp’s menu has five types of bagels (sesame, plain, everything, poppy, and salt), and they sometimes run limited-edition flavors in collaboration with other companies. Hours listed for the UWS location are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday to Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday to Sunday. Preorders are also available. To read WSR’s full coverage of the opening click – HERE.
Kossar’s, the bagel and bialy shop, is planning to open on the corner of West 72nd Street and West End Avenue on Thursday, May 9, according to a sign posted on the storefront. There has been talk about Kossar’s coming to the Upper West Side since 2015, and signage went up at this location in October 2022. The space used to be Pier 72 Restaurant, which closed in 2020.
Founded in 1936 on the Lower East Side, “Kossar’s has evolved considerably over the years, as it’s changed hands. For a time, it was certified kosher. The other day, I was startled to see bacon on the menu,” wrote The New Yorker on the brand’s expansion in 2022. Unlike bagels, bialys are not boiled before they’re baked and they’re typically topped with onions and poppy seeds. In addition to its location on the Lower East Side – “the oldest operating bialy bakery in the United States,” according to the company’s website – Kossar’s also has locations on the Lower East Side, Upper East Side, and in Hudson Yards.
Healthyholic Kitchen is opening on June 1 at 2801 Broadway (between West 108th and 109th streets). They will serve prepared pre-packaged meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the goal of providing healthy food to busy people who do not have time to cook. They also offer meal plans where customers can pre-order meals for the week. Those meals can be picked up or delivered on Sundays. Healthyholic was founded by husband and wife Daniela Padilla and Jose Rodriguez in the Bronx eight years ago. The company has four stores in the Bronx and Westchester. This will be the first location in Manhattan. “Healthyholic was born after I moved to New York from Mexico and gained a lot of weight from eating on the run, working, and being a mom to a three-year-old,” Daniela Padilla told WSR. “My husband bought a supplement store and little by little we both started cooking healthy foods that we could eat on the go.” The husband and wife team decided to turn their interest in healthy eating into a business. “Our meals are vacuum sealed and ready to eat, macro balanced, and categorized by proteins,” Padilla explained.
Healthyholic meals are prepared by a team of 14 cooks at a hub kitchen in the Bronx. Single meals can also be purchased for those who do not want a weekly plan. “We are very excited to be in this neighborhood and hope we can help Upper West Siders save time and money while eating healthy,” Padilla said. Healthyholic will give a discount to law enforcement officers and first responders. Creative Health, the longtime health food store that closed in November 2023, was previously in the space. (Thanks to Tracy for the tip.)
CVS is planning to open a pharmacy at Broadway and West 103rd Street this summer, a company spokesperson confirmed to WSR. The store will take up about half the length of the block, though further details about it aren’t available at this time. This opening is a reversal from CVS’s recent trend of pharmacy closings: the company closed its longtime location on Broadway at the corner of West 93rd Street in February, and also closed its pharmacy in the Target at Columbus Avenue and West 98th Street in March. The new store will be in The Rockwell, a recently constructed luxury apartment building. (Thanks to David and Tracy for the tips.)
Casasalvo, an Italian espresso market, is opening on Monday, May 13, at 473 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 82nd and 83rd streets. Casasalvo will offer a variety of coffee, cappuccino and espresso beverages, all priced at $2.50 per cup. The espresso bar will feature classic espresso in addition to specialty flavors, including pistachio, hazelnut, and truffle. Casasalvo’s coffee and espresso is a blend of Italian Dokito coffee from an area near Rome. Fresh baked cornetti (Italian croissants) will be offered as well. The market is owned by Italian chef Salvo Lo Castro, a personal chef who runs private dining and catering services. Specialty Italian food products and pantry staples will be featured in the market. They will sell fresh cheese, meat, extra virgin olive oils and vinegar, Italian beverages, organic pasta, tomato sauce, and hand-crafted butter and yogurts. “I am very excited to make gourmet coffee and specialty foods accessible to everyone in New York City where customers can experience the true essence of Italian flavors,” Lo Castro said. “Casasalvo will be home for those who want to connect over the values of good food, eating well, and living these moments with joy.” The space was formerly the Richard Corman Fine Art Gallery, which closed in January 2024.
WTHN, a wellness center that practices acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, is opening at 69 West 71st Street in late summer, a representative confirmed to WSR. This 3,700-square-foot space, across two levels, will offer “holistic healing services,” including cupping and herbal treatments. It will have a retail shop selling curated and WTHN-branded wellness products. This will be WTHN’s third location – it already has storefronts in Flatiron and North Williamsburg. The space used to be Drybar, a hair styling salon, which closed in April 2023.
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Kossar’s is open. Saw people in there yesterday, including someone behind the counter.
Not open until tomorrow. Yes, people in there, setting up. But not open just yet.
Excited for all the new openings! I tried pop up bagels and thought it was great, sure its a bit annoying to get 3 bagels but hey it is a good excuse to pick one up for a friend. Looking forward to trying Kossar’s as well – our bagel cup overfloweth!
There’s a French wine bar opening around the corner from Pizzeria Uno on 81st and Columbus, just some printed signs in the window. The space was a travel agency forever
I’ll miss the travel agencies!!
Me, too. Cook Travel was there when I moved to the neighborhood half a century ago, and always had the look of ‘the store that time forgot,’ with the old desks and older posters. But I booked a trip with them and it was a pleasure compared to the current do-it-yourself nightmare of dealing online with Expedia, VRBO, airlines, hotel chains, etc.
I loved seeing the cat inside.
Any updates about the opening of Canto, the Italian restaurant, on Broadway between 68th and 69th?
I walked passed it this morning. They have a LONG way to go. Still under major construction. And based on how construction moves, I’d say, you’d be lucky to have a summer opening.
That CVS may light a fire under the Duane Reade/Walgreens directly across the street, which is a mess. Something has been wrong with the ceiling/AC for a year, the aisles are frequently blocked with gray stock crates, and the “security guard” is always on his phone or staring into space. Some of the staff have been in that store for years and are hard-working. They deserve better.
That DR has seemed to be in grim shape for a while. I’ve been wondering if they’re planning on renewing their lease whenever it expires.
I completely agree. Apparently, the A/C work is finished. The crates were in the aisles because the construction/A/C folks commandeered the basement where the crates were usually unloaded. The long-term employees are doing their best, with no support. I have tried several times to contact their District and Corporate offices to complain and tell them what the employees are up against And yes, the “security guards” are sorely lacking; I had to go in there the other day (on my way somewhere else) to stop a shoplifter who was openly picking up stuff and walking out with it. Another “senior” man and I managed to scare the guy out, while the “guard” stood there and watched. Needless to say, I will probably move my Rxs to CVS.
Happy to have a new CVS open at that location. Really enjoyed the new, clean one inside Target with great service.
When I am farther down the way, I will enjoy an espresso and reflect on the salve of Richard Corman’s pop-up during the pandemic.
It’s always a treat when someone brings a small espresso brand like Dokito to NYC rather than using the usual mass-produced suspects. Can’t wait to do breakfast “come un Romano.”
Thanks so much for the update on Kossar’s. Missed them for the two or so years since Zabar’s stopped selling for no good reason.
Good stuff. Every week I eagerly await a post that shows an opening in all the abandoned spaces between 93rd and 97th along Columbus. A ghost town 🙁
A restaurant desert for like ever. I have never understood why a good restaurant doesn’t think this part of the UWS is interested in eating out!
No restaurant desert on Broadway from 104 to 110 and a couple new ones have opened.
Good bagels baked at 72nd and West End. My dreams are alive. This is going to be so great for that corner!