And thus continues the tragic tale of H&H Bagels; though plans to bring the beloved bagel brand back to New York had reportedly been in the works, it was announced yesterday that the revival is no more, after a deal between a Long Island bagel shop proprietor and H&H's original owner fell through.
Randy Narod, who owns the Long Island Bagel Cafe chain, had apparently been in contact with H&H founder Helmer Toro about opening an H&H bagel shop on Fulton Street. Both the famed Upper West Side spot and 46th Street plant fell victim to Toro's slew of financial woes last year, and Narod proposed he combine his chain's menu with Toro's bagels at the new downtown location.
But Toro called off the partnership last month due to Narod's "shady" backdoor dealings and sneaky plan to patent the name "Original H&H Bagels" without Toro's permission, and sent Narod a cease-and-desist letter asking him to change the name of the store. And so, the H&H imposter is not to be—yesterday, Toro received a letter confirming that Narod's shop would in fact be called 125 Fulton Bagel Cafe, which doesn't have quite the same ring to it, now does it?
But fear not, bagel lovers! All hope of bringing H&H bagels back from the dead is not lost. Toro says he is in talks with other investors about reopening an H&H location elsewhere, though until then, the memory of those hot, fluffy, slightly moist rings of carbohydrate heaven will have to suffice.
