The secret that’s not a secret

You may have noticed some changes at the Bagel Grove. We knocked down a couple walls, and built a few new ones. Some we covered with stainless steel. Or shelves for merchandising. And the rest (not quite finished…) with a fresh coat of paint!

In an email last winter, I alluded to the final plans. Today I reveal… (it wasn’t supposed to be a secret) The NEW Bagel Grove Conference & Community room!

A wifi enabled screen allows you to watch a video or screencast your computer. We also have a projector screen available. And paid reservations include unlimited coffee & tea as well as a dozen bagels and cream cheese!

The room has 14 chairs plus the couch, so you can seat 16 people easily. Artwork by Betty Murtagh. (screen prints are available for purchase!)

Here’s a brief explanation of why…

DISCLAIMER:
This may be the last time I feel compelled to explain the following… Because businesses make changes when they have to change to survive… NOT because they enjoy frustrating customers with change. If folks don’t like how we run our business, that is cool. However, there are many others who do, which is why we do it!

Though brief, here lies the truth as fully as I can describe it. We lost nearly ALL our wholesale business at the start of the pandemic, ultimately forcing us to shut down for a few months in the summer of 2020. During that time we had a chance to look at our business, identify our strengths and our weaknesses, and dream of what would work best in the rapidly unfolding new world!

Very simply we looked at:
What we sold the most of (breakfast sandwiches and morning dozens for home and office)
What cost us the most (indoor dining, wholesale and the extensive menu)
And where we could grow (online sales, subscription bagels and delivery).
Out of reflection, a new, streamlined Bagel Grove was born.

But one big question remained. What to do with the old dining space? With all the changes in the workforce and community life we thought we could build a space for people to use when they needed to get together! Because Bagel Grove has always been about building up community along with serving our good food.

The new space is available to rent, 7 days a week, with complimentary coffee, tea and of course… bagels and cream cheese!. You can also order off our menu during our regular store hours. (3 day advance reservation required to get the free bagels) Many non-profits and community groups can rent the room for free! (email me for details).

My new book group is meeting there this month… with BYO wine! So now you know all my secrets.