Tasty Bagels, the Bensonhurst bagel shop off of 86th Street, served their last round of bagels on Monday after 40 years in the business.
The popular brand announced they would be closing their doors on March 27 in a social media post, saying “All good things come to an end.”
“Since 1983 we have had the honor of serving the Bensonhurst & neighboring communities breakfast, lunch and dinner,” the post said. “We have memories and stories to last a lifetime. We’ve fed and catered to tens of thousands of you all for the past 40 years and we loved every minute of it and every one of you.”
Tasty Bagels first opened their doors in October 1983 — primarily serving bagels by the dozen, coffee, sandwiches, and homemade appetizers. According to the shop’s website, their popularity quickly skyrocketed — and the bagel store changed its schedule to be open seven days a week, 364 days a year – only taking the day off on Christmas Day. Through the years, they added to their breakfast and lunch menu, offering egg sandwiches, wraps and more — with fresh, homemade ingredients and fresh-baked bagels.
The shop closed not long after other neighborhood staples, like Lenny’s Pizza and G. Esposito & Sons Pork Store, shuttered after decades in operation.
“Customers [became] friends who then became family,” the shop’s owners, the Geraldi family, wrote on Instagram. “It’s been a fantastic, long run but as they say ‘All good things come to an end.’ Thanks for the unforgettable times.”
According to Randy Peers, CEO and president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, there could be a multitude of reasons why a longtime shop would close. He says while no one likes to see their favorite business close, sometimes certain neighborhood demographics shift and closures are inevitable.
“We do see this often in terms of multigenerational businesses or longtime businesses. At some point the neighborhood maybe changes a little bit and they’ve been in business for so long and you just get tired. They earn their place in the sun and a chance to close the door and enjoy some down time,” Peers told Brooklyn Paper. “It’s also just another evolution of the natural business cycle within a particular community or neighborhood.”
In worst case scenarios, older shops can struggle with raised rents or low foot traffic, according to Peers. However in some cases, shop owners are simply ready to take a break.
“It’s not easy running a small business,” Peers said. “You make a lot of sacrifices and I think in some of these cases, it’s really about [the business] ran its course and the owners are now sort of ready to retire and move on.”
It’s not all farewells in the borough. The chamber’s CEO says the group has been averaging three to four ribbon cuttings a month as new entrepreneurs open shops in the area.
“Brooklyn has had more new business startups in the last two years than probably ever before. It’s pretty extraordinary how we’ve bounced back from COVID,” he said. “I’m very optimistic. We’ve got new business energy that I see each and every day in the borough. While it hurts to lose these longtime businesses that we know and love, the entrepreneurial spirit in Brooklyn is still alive and well.”
