Monday, May 13, 2024
Sunny. High 68 degrees.
Notices
Our calendar has lots of local events. Click on the link or the lady in the upper righthand corner to check.
John Oliver and Seth Meyers will be performing at the Beacon Theatre on Sunday.
Upper West Side News
By Gus Saltonstall
Amid the abundance of Upper West Side bagel news last week, one detail generated a particular amount of chatter: the three-bagel purchase minimum at the newly opened PopUp Bagels at 338 Columbus Avenue at West 76th Street.
The Forward, a publication that describes itself as “News That Matters to American Jews,” delved into the subject with an apt headline and an interview with Adam Goldberg, the owner of PopUp Bagels.
That headline reads — “PopUp Bagels’ Controversial 3-Bagel Minimum (unsliced!) hits the Upper West Side”
Here’s what Goldberg had to say about the three-bagel minimum and the required cream cheese purchase.
“They don’t have to come! Listen, we package our cream cheese in 8-ounce containers, and three bagels is the right amount of bagels for that,” Goldberg told The Forward. “If we were to sell individual bagels, it would affect how we bake them. They wouldn’t come fresh out of the oven. We’d have to make smaller cream cheese packages and different accommodations, and when you run a food business, every accommodation you make affects the ability to thrive.”
You can read the full interview — HERE.
A teenager was arrested and charged with vandalizing a Central Park monument last week, police said.
Specifically, the 16-year-old was charged with multiple counts of criminal mischief and making graffiti, related to damage done to the General William Tecumseh Sherman monument within Grand Army Plaza near East 60th Street, police said.
While one arrest was made in connection to the Central Park case, NYPD originally announced they were looking for three suspects. Additionally, it is unclear if police found the teenager on their own, or if somebody was able to cash in on the $10,000 reward for information related to the case.
West Side Rag will keep an eye out for more arrests stemming from the monument vandalization.
The Rag often republishes stories from THE CITY, a digital news site, and this past week the publication had a major story leading to Harvey Weinstein being sent back from a private hospital room to Rikers Island.
Hours after THE CITY reported that Weinstein was staying in a private room within Bellevue Hospital, equipped with his own phone, bathroom, and television, the disgraced media mogul was sent back to the West Facility on Rikers.
“Your article was pretty much the reason,” Weinstein’s longtime spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, told THE CITY Monday night.
You can read more — HERE.
The Japan Day Parade took place on the Upper West Side on Saturday, and photographer Denton Taylor sent in some fantastic pictures of the procession that went down Central Park West from West 81st to 67th streets.
The parade celebrates the friendship between New York City and Japan.
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here.
““They don’t have to come!” you don’t have to tell me twice. With that attitude, I’ll never come.
Mr. Goldberg is from Westport, CT. He clearly doesn’t understand the ethos of the UWS, or simply doesn’t care. He may learn a very expensive lesson with his attitude. Businesses come and businesses go. He should take a leaf out of Mr. Zabar’s book and consider the customers who call the UWS home. Even Starbucks understands the character of the neighborhoods they are in.
I like his response. That’s the free market. You have choices. I’m surprised locals aren’t demanding that local politicians “force” Goldberg to offer single bagels. That would be more apropos to the way UWSers think the world should be run.
I agree, Don’t go. The bagels are amazing and you are missing out. It’s $12, not $100.
Goldberg doesn’t understand that. Will he survive ? Perhaps. However, owners with an attitude like that, more often than not, don’t make it long term.
The bagels there are on steroids.
So many other places without an attitude.
that’s literally what he just said
and I’m happy to take his advice, everyone should
No soup for you!
Cute, except the Soup Nazi character on Seinfeld wasn’t forcing you to purchase a loaf of bread with your order. And he was selling single orders of soup.
I don’t mind the forced order of 3 bagels, but I mind the fact I am forced to purchase butter or cream cheese. I just wished Utopia Bagels opened a place on the UWS rather than 34th street. As a Whitestone resident who works on the UWS, the UWS is missing out!
Haha! This was especially funny since I walked past the Original Soup Kitchen today.
Perfect summation ! Your WIT is needed & appreciated!!! Thank you. Write more. & what’s your view on the sucker punches, the latest Steve Buscemi!
Ok Goldberg I won’t come. There are plenty of places to get a bagel in NYC.
This is me, not going to PopUp.
We have more than our share of suburban based chain stores on the Upper West Side. I’ll stick with local (where you can buy as many or as few bagels as you want) for as long as they’re with us.
Re: Pop -up .. Seems like a good guy with the business model that makes sense. Give them a break and enjoy
I like Davidovich bagels a lot.
“when you run a food business, every accommodation you make affects the ability to thrive.”
I don’t dispute his right to run his shop as he pleases, but this is a strange argument to make. We don’t care whether you, particularly, a newcomer, thrive or not. Consumers don’t owe you your preferred business model.
That said, I haven’t had them yet so maybe they’re so amazing they’re worth it. Always possible, I guess!
I don’t want your cream cheese. Maybe I don’t want cream cheese at all. It’s crazy to force someone to buy cream cheese.
Is the cream cheese Philly cc? That’s important too.
so funny….does this bagel man come and tell you how you should make your coffee?
his 3-bagel minimum works for his business; if you dont want 3 smaller hot bagels, go to bagel talk and get 1 larger hot bagel. sneering and making a new business owner feel unwelcome (on a block that has not exactly retained long-time tenants) is a sad contrast to the facade that a lot of upper west siders put up. I just don’t really get the offense here!
It’s not the 3-bagel minimum that I find offputting, it’s his tone. “We think the three-bagel minimum helps ensure the turnover we need to serve them at their hot and fresh best! We hope everyone will give it a try. They may find that three might not even be enough!”
There. And I’m a lawyer, not a marketer.
Lawyer. Marketer. Same thing selling the story.
As I tried to post earlier but got censored for no apparent reason, I have minimal issue with his model. I have an issue with his attitude. A normal businessperson would say “I’m sorry this does not work for some people but we have determined that it currently works best for us.” Saying “They don’t have to come” is rude.
Agreed. Everyone is so weirdly offended by the 3-bagel minimum. It’s not the only place around so if you don’t wanna go, don’t go. But why so much affronted “how dare they?” attitude?
“his 3-bagel minimum works for his business”
That may be, but will “no customers” work for his business as well? That’s the choice he has to make.
And you “just don’t really get the offense here”? People aren’t so much taking offense as stating, perhaps strongly, their preference not to be required to buy three bagels and cream cheese if they want only one bagel. Perhaps there’s a bit of anger in there: If he’s making good bagels and they’re local, I might like to buy one — but he won’t let me. That’s tease-and-deny, and that makes people angry.
The new business is not “unwelcome” by any means; I wish him the best of luck. I’m just not going to patronize the business because I don’t want three bagels and I don’t want cream cheese. Maybe other people will.
But time will tell whether he is “entitled” to his business model if it chases away potential customers.
I tried PopUp Bagels over the weekend. It was so delicious that, believe me, three bagels is not enough.
Their operation is so brilliantly streamlined that my order was ready even before I could put my credit card away.
And, the bagels were still warm when I arrived home, despite my detouring in the opposite direction to check out the Japan Day block party.
Don’t knock it til you try it.
I was sceptical at first but after trying them I have to agree! They were absolutely delicious and hot! Let’s support the business. If not, that’s fine too – you have many other choices, but I’m giving this one a chance. I loved the bagels.
They’re really good bagels and decent cream cheese – I’m happy to buy 3 at a time if that’s what makes the business work. We got them right out of the oven. The fluffiness reminds me a little of the old h and h.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
I came here to scold, but those bagels look pretty good in the pic!! I may pick up the 3-pack and cream cheese for $12.
All these very similar sounding positive reviews in less than 1/2 hour. Looks like their PR firm’s staff is review bombing.
I assure you, my review is legit.
You do understand that WSR approves comments in batches, right? SMH
I haven’t tried the 3 bagels yet but they might turn into one of those places no one goes to because it’s too crowded.
The TJ daily “fresh” everything-bagels are New York size and above average (taste and freezable texture) for a “supermarket”.
At 3 for $2. I have enough left over for half a POUND of smoked fish 🐠.
I went and was a bit apprehensive when I saw the line. But I have to say, they really get you in and out very quickly. I loved the bagels, albeit they are on the small side. That said, my waist is happy eating slightly smaller bagels!
There are many pizzerias that only sell whole pies and not slices. If you want a slice you go to certain places. This is not a big deal.
But there’s no 3 pizza minimum.
I don’t think anyone has ever incited so much bagel rage in the UWS as this guy. Meanwhile, the bialys at Kossar’s…
Kossars’s just opened on 72nd & WEA. Who needs PopUp? No one.
Both are great, I’m glad we have the choices. Why everyone gets all upset about a 3 bagel minimum is beyond me.
It’s that NO ONE has a three bagel minimum, so people will be surprised when they get to the counter and find out.
It’s the UWS. It’s what we do!
Yes! Kossar’s is outstanding!
Which way does their line go?
Ha ha ha
3 bagel minimum. lol. Don’t ever remember getting less. than 6 bagels unless it’s a sandwich. In any event, I will never consider going to this place. The owner is allowed to make rules. The customer is allowed to get his bagels elsewhere.
I can live with the 3 bagel minimum but not the cream cheese requirement- or the attitude. I happen not to like cream cheese. Some people are dairy intolerant or vegan (I’m not, just never liked it). So I won’t buy his bagels.
They have a vegan cream cheese as one of the options
“[E]very accommodation you make affects the ability to thrive.,” is true. It’s called: find out what the customer wants and provide that. The better you are at that, the better your business will be. Mr. Golberg’s take on this idea as a hole it.
Just read the bagel interview. He won’t slice bagels b/c that would be (gasp) too much like a deli … but then why sell toppings if he’s such a bagel purist? Here’s why. It’s clear now: He’s running a cream cheese business, not a bagel shop. After robbing customers, he double dips by making deals with unrelated brands on toppings (i.e. Tropicana, Fruity Pebbles, Blue Moon beer). The whole thing is about TOPPINGS… which HARDLY boast the “high-quality” ingredients he touts. The bagels are completely beside the point..
Isnt it only a popup shop? Doesnt that mean that it will only be there for a short time? So let them do what they want and let them live!
Pop up bagel store: Is there a cream cheese requirement with the three-bagel minimum or can you just buy three bagels? It’s not clear from reading the comments, at least to me.
You can get flavored butter instead of cream cheese. You can use the butter (and the cream cheese) in other ways besides bagels.
Flavored butter? WTH is that?
You can buy three bagels and cream cheese for $12 and throw out the cream cheese. But they won’t give a discount for not getting the cream cheese. So you are paying $4 a bagel, which is a lot – I don’t care how good they are.
Worst case it is shorter lines at Bagel Talk, which works for me as long as they stay in business.
Also, if you’re just hungry for 1 bagel, you’re paying $8 for 2 bagels that are not oven fresh. I like Absolute B. but I’m not going to wait 30 minutes for a bagel no matter how good it is. I’m a big fan of Silver Moon’s Olive/Rosemary loaf though.
Anyone else a little stunned that bagels rack up more comments than crime, traffic or the ongoing drama at Columbia?
Come on now, we don’t want to lose all that awe-inspiring broad-ranging expertise in bagel store business models. The world needs to hear it.
The tendency of some Upper West Siders to complain about the minimum charge for a bagel has piqued my interest in trying out Pop Up Bagel. Not everything can cater to personal preferences. I appreciate businesses that prioritize their standards over excessive pandering. If the food is excellent, that’s what matters to me—I value quality far above customer service. Kudos to the individual who told off the complainers by saying they should stay away if they’re not satisfied. Sometimes, people need to be reminded that the world doesn’t operate on constant appeasement.
pop up bagels originally was a dozen minimum when he was making them out of his home in Connecticut. I had a family friend who would get them and bring to get togethers. Now Goldberg is franchising pop up, so he’s got some corporate something riding on this.
he might be right about what he’s saying but it doesn’t mean I have to buy into it. Exactly, i don’t have to come. and i won’t. They’re fine but others are as good or better and don’t have a minimum which I really don’t like, at all.
Btw, the fam friend never thought they were in a ‘best of’ conversation but in Connecticut quality bagels are harder to find than the UWS.
He liked them because they were unique and he could bring in something most people don’t know about or have easy access to. It was a cool talking point at get togethers. Things change though. He said don’t get caught in the hype machine right now, get some and decide for yourself.
I bought bagels there today and was surprised by the 3 bagel minimum… BUT they were scarfed down awfully quickly by 2 of us. They were fabulous.
Pop Up bagels hot and delicious. I live on 77th Street and the two near by bagel shops rarely offer anything hot. I remember H&H on Broadway years ago getting a hot bagel and consuming it immediately right out of the bag
See, I think this is interesting: People love hot bagels,. Even H&H, which was all about hot bagels, back in the day they had many detractors – critics said they were not really authentic NY bagels. I distinctly remember that their nova was not very good at all. It was prepackaged. Yuck. Just because the bagel isn’t warm doesn’t mean it isn’t fresh. Toast it for a minute and then it’s perfectly warm again. That’s a standard option. This fresh out of the oven thing is a gimmick. And it’s working apparently. But look what happened to H&H!
I guess I’m kind of a snob, but the whole concept of this “bagel” shop seems super lame to me. It’s not a bagel shop at all. It’s some kind of bagel-ish served hot directly from the oven (big whoop) and then you dip it? What the actual fudge? Where are all these people from? They’re from the mall. Ditto insomnia cookies. Those cookies are awful. Give me Bagel Talk every time. Or get a bagel at the counter at Barney Greengrass. Or Zabars. I mean there are so many good places to get excellent, fresh, authentic bagels. Who needs this bridge and tunnel chain b.s.? But then I have this sneaking suspicion that we, the natives, the local yokels, have been overrun! 🙂
The “They don’t have to come” quote was taken way out of context. Here’s the loaded question that the reporter from The Forward asked, followed by the owner’s response:
“ The three-bagel minimum and required cream cheese purchase is also controversial. What do you say to the haters?
They don’t have to come! Listen, we package our cream cheese in 8-ounce containers,…”
Putting that into context, who would want “haters” to show up? His response was actually quite appropriate, in my humble opinion. I wouldn’t want such negativity in my place of business.
He can do what he wants to, but personally if I want a bagel I only want one. I don’t eat cream cheese. I prefer butter.
Too bad for a new business to start with such an attitude. I’ll never go there and will pass the word on Mr. Goldberg’s “business plan”.
I live around the corner from Pop Up and waited until the hype and lines cooled a bit before checking it oit. Sorry to say that I was underwhelmed. Rather bland and soft with a texture more befitting of fresh bread, not a bagel.