In a city dense with bagel options, Kossar's Bialys have withstood 79 years baking up the bagel's lesser-known cousin, the bialy, in addition to its bulkier companion. In 2013, the bakery was bought by the next generation of bialy makers, who are committed to bringing the oniony treat back into the spotlight where it belongs. This week, the shop will close for a six-week, $500,000 renovation, reports the Wall Street Journal, to update antiquated equipment, add in a sandwich counter and rebrand the iconic Kossar's name.
There are three major takeaways from the piece, first and foremost being the addition of the sandwich counter that'll turn out both breakfast sandwiches, as well as the ability to add butter or a schmear to the bialys and bagels. Second, the new Kossar's team will be expanding the brand uptown, opening a second bakery and cafe somewhere on the Upper West Side. Both of these things are Good and Right.
Less good and right, this nugget buried at the end of the WSJ piece: "Still, the redesigned logo for their business adds “bagels” to the title—and puts them first."
See, bialys have an image problem, namely that people...don't know what they are (ugh). The decision to change their name (UGH) probably came from the PR firm hired by Kossar's to "raise the bialy’s profile" before they reopen. How further obfuscating the bialy helps promote the bialy is beyond us, but at least they're sticking around at all.
