The new Manhattan Bagel in Southampton’s recent Grand Opening generated so much buzz that customers lined up as early as 3 a.m., eager to take a bite out of some mouth-watering bagels, sandwiches, muffins, and try out a variety of drinks.
“We’ve been here since 3:45 in the morning,” explained Ariella, a senior from William Tennent High School in Warminster. Her friend, Veronica, mentioned that she took a nap in her car to stay energized for the eventful day ahead.
The new store, located on the corner of Second Street Pike and Street Road in Southampton, PA., featured an array of fun-filled events and prizes for their customers including coupon books for free breakfast sandwiches for a year and giveaways for free bagels and cookies.
Happy customer gets served his morning coffee at the Manhattan Bagel Grand Opening. Photo Credit: Olga Barkar
In fact, chocolate chip cookies were passed around to the customers in line by owner Ross Gelman and his father, Ilyas, who enjoyed meeting everyone throughout the bustling day.
“This is a wonderful day in every possible way. Thank all of you for coming out. We are happy and proud to become a major part of this community,” Gelman said, while he and his father snipped a giant red ribbon before officially opening the doors.
Joining Gelman was Judy Doherty, executive director of the Greater Bucks Mont Chamber of Commerce, and State Rep. Kristin Marcell, who not only love bagels and bagel sandwiches but appreciate how community-oriented Gelman and his family are and the positive vibe that they generate.
Also visiting and contributing to the excitement surrounding the Grand Opening was Philadelphia’s country station 92.5 XTU which gave away 10 pairs of tickets to beloved country star Luke Bryan’s anniversary show taking place on Friday, June 23 in Camden, N.J.
“I thought it was gonna be packed cause of the Luke Bryan tickets,” said Gianna, another William Tennent high school senior who accompanied her friends on their quest for free bagels and a shot at winning the tickets.
In addition to the chance at free tickets, 92.5 XTU also had a wheel to spin where fans could win a number of free prizes including T-shirts, pins, bags, and a cold drink holder, perfect for the summer weather.
Manhattan bagel shop customers of all ages came to the Grand Opening. Photo Credit: Olga Barkar
While there are many bagel shops to choose from in the area, what sets Manhattan Bagel apart is not only their commitment to great service and fostering community but also offering a wide variety of flavors of bagels you may not see elsewhere
“Our whole persona and attitude are about being an integral part of the local community,” explained Sean Doyle, Manhattan Bagel’s regional support manager. He also added that it’s about having a consistently high-quality product and unique offerings that include a wide variety of muffins, (blueberry, cranberry nut) and bagels (jalapeño cheddar, French toast, honey whole wheat everything.
“We boil and bake which is unique, you know it’s the New York style. Most people in this neighborhood don’t do that,” Doyle stated. “We have simple ingredients to give it our wonderful taste.”
Manhattan Bagel also proudly welcomed members from Autism Cares Foundation to show their support. They will return to the shop on Thursday, June 29 for a special dine-and-donate event to benefit the local nonprofit.
The three women representing the Autism Cares Foundation expressed their excitement to not only gain attention and support for their amazing organization but also to try out some fresh everything bagels.
Executive Director Jacqui Makowski said that Autism Cares Foundation truly appreciates the generosity of the community and its new neighbor, Manhattan Bagel. “We could not support all of the programs and activities that we do, without the support of donors,” she said, “so we are extremely thankful.”
Though the shop has only been open a short time, it’s likely to become a neighborhood favorite with its convenient placement, stellar customer service, dedication to community involvement, and of course, its unique yet simple bagel recipe that will never go out of style.
You can visit Manhattan Bagel in Southampton at: manhattanbagel.com/locations/southampton/
707 Street Road
Southampton, PA 18966
(215) 494-9453