Recently opened at 8684 E. 116th St., Barry Bagels is a new spot for lunch breaks and easy breakfast. The origin of Barry Bagels can be traced back to 1972 when Barry Greenblatt, a native of Detroit, brought fresh-baked bagels to northwest Ohio. Along with his partner, bagel-maker Peter Johnson, Barry opened their inaugural location in Sylvania. They named their establishment “The Bagel Place” and were the first to create boiled and then baked bagels in the region.
Soon after, the menu expanded to include various flavored cream cheeses, deli sandwiches, soups and salads. Nevertheless, the bagels—which were baked fresh daily throughout the day—established the location as one of the area’s beloved restaurants. In 1979, Peter retired, and the store was eventually renamed “Barry Bagels”.
Bret and Heather Couturier first opened a location in Carmel’s Clay Terrace, but this was just the beginning. There is now a newly opened Fisher’s location in downtown. At all locations, bagels are the center product sold, but the food sold is not limited to only bagels. At first glance, the menu is diverse and fun. Breakfast items range from sandwiches like the “Eggel” to 17 different types of bagels. Customers can also skip the line and order on their website “barrybagels.com”.
Seniors Serena Zentz and Sam Shipley both work at the Fishers location on weekends. Zentz started working at Barry Bagels in mid-February, around two weeks before the Fishers location opened. On the other hand, Shipley is fairly new with only working at this location for about four weeks.
“I wanted a job that was mostly mornings so that I wouldn’t waste away my days in the summer,” Zentz said. “The interview was super relaxed and easy. For training, the job itself isn’t crazy hard, so we were mostly thrown right into the work. I really like my coworkers there. They make it a really fun environment.”
Barry Bagels has a very outgoing and upbeat environment with busy rushes and welcoming employees. Although learning all the different types of bagels and toppings while working there may seem intimidating, Barry Bagels is easy to jump into and the people are a big help. The shop itself is colorful and displays all the types of bagels so customers can see the selection.
“I love the vanilla cinnamon bagel with honey brown sugar cream cheese,” Zentz said. “I get it every time because it has the perfect amount of sweetness.”
All the bagels are fresh–made in small batches throughout the day–to ensure the best-tasting products to customers. No one can go wrong with the fan favorites or a plain and simple bagel.
“My favorite menu item is the double chocolate chip muffin because that is my favorite bakery item of all time,” Shipley said.
On top of bagels, muffins and more, Barry Bagels offers their signature seasoning– “Barry’s Everything Seasoning Mix”. The 9.5-ounce jar of unique Everything Seasoning blend can transform any dish to taste just like a Barry Bagels Everything Bagel. Perfect for seasoning grilled meats, fish, or chicken, as well as soups, pasta, avocado toast, and many other dishes.
For more information on nutrition, careers and history, check out their website, Instagram or X at barrybagels.
