NYC’s H&H Bagels starts nationwide rollout
H&H, whose bagels have been the toast of Manhattan since the 70s, has embarked on a nationwide rollout.
Franchising is what’s taken the brand on the road. In 2021, H&H Bagels Group launched its national franchise program with a plan for 50 locations across the United States. The very first H&H Bagel franchise is set to open soon at 2200 Glades Road in Boca Raton, Fla. Next to come will be locations in Tampa, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach.
“We’re still in the permitting phase for the Boca Raton store, but we expect to open it within the next two or three weeks,” said H&H’s CEO Jay Rushin, whose father-in-law, diner operator Perry Alexiou, acquired the brand in the late 1980s. "The anticipation down here in Florida is off the charts. So many people here know H&H, and they’re getting impatient."
H&H shops are small, ranging in size between 1,300 and 1,900 sq. ft., so franchisees have been successful in finding prime locations in their markets, the company said. Rushin said that new shops will be opening in Santa Monica, Calif., Washinton, D.C.; and Chicago within a year. Openings in Dallas and Knoxville, Tenn. are on his calendar.
H&H Bagels’ distinct artisanal water bagel-making method made it a standout in the bagel business in New York. Its bagels are proofed, kettle-boiled, bathed in cold water, and then oven-baked on-site. Customers are able to choose from a wide variety of spreads, egg sandwiches, smoked fish, and house-made salads.
There are seven H&H Bagels shops in New York that include locations at the Laguardia and JFK airports and the Moynihan Train Hall. The brand gained national attention on the television shows “Sex and the City” and “Seinfeld,” in which Cosmo Kramer returns to work at H&H after 12 years of having been on strike.