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Home Banks Win Bagels Lose on Upper West Side

Banks Win Bagels Lose on Upper West Side

Former H & H Bagel

Former H and H Bagel

Many Upper West Siders were saddened this past June when the famous H & H Bagels closed it's doors after almost 40 years on the Upper West Side. The store was closed down by the tax man. The owner was indicted on tax fraud charges.
DNAinfo reported a Bagel company from Queens had hoped to take over the space, but the landlord is asking approximately $450 per square foot, which wss too epensive. Apparently H&H owed over $300,000 in rent.

A spokesperson for the Queens bagel company said opening in the former H&H space would signal that "the mantel was being passed," but he was told by Friedland "they really wanted a bank."

Today was the final nail for H&H Bagels. The Daily News reported a city marshal seized the last remaining location of H & H Bagels. The 46th Street space will now be turned over to the landlord, and the shop is closed for business. The famed bakery filed for bankruptcy protection last summer, in October, a judge ruled to allow the eviction proceedings to move forward.

After the Upper West Side retail store and New Jersey plant closed the midtown store was sold at auction and seized today, H&H still has one plant with a small store left that sell wholesale and retail.The owner hopes to reopen the shop, perhaps at a new location on the Upper West Side.

Zabars and H&H Bagels

While saddened by the loss of H&H, there are still plenty of places to get a good bagel on the Upper West Side. They may not be as hot and gooey as H&H Bagels but Thank G-d for Zabars right across the street. Nobody does a bagel and lox breakfast special with coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice for $4.95 better than Zabars.

Posted Thursday Jan 26