Boca Raton H&H Bagels Opening Causes Frenzy With Lines Out the Door

It feels like just yesterday when New Times shared the news that New York City's legendary H&H Bagels would expand to Boca Raton, its first location outside of Manhattan in 52 years. Today, on Wednesday, October 2, H&H Bagels CEO Jay Rushin and its Boca Raton staff were greeted at 5:30 a.m. by a crowd of more than 30 people waiting to get their New York bagel fix.

Whether it was the power of the brand's social media posts with fun TikToks promoting the new location, local news spreading the word like cream cheese, or pure excitement from the Boca community, Rushin tells New Times the oven has been hot all morning.

"We had a line out the door until 6:30 a.m.," Rushin tells New Times. "People keep coming, and the guys have been cycling to and from the oven in the back of the house every ten minutes for the last five hours. I mean, we're doing so much volume today. The oven is running nonstop!"

Foodies and New York-based Fans Line Out the Door

New York transplants and those from the Northeast who now reside in Boca and South Florida were among the many fans who made the early morning line at the opening of H&H Bagels.

For local foodie Victoria Puzzo (@torissweetspot), who is originally from Long Island, the hype over the bagel spot was worth waking up at 4 a.m. to score a spot as one of the first in line. "I discovered H&H's grand opening through social media and followed each post leading up to the big day. I knew I had to be one of the first to try these New York bagels," she proudly says. "Once the doors opened at 6 a.m., I received my order and enjoyed it [while] watching the sunrise on the beach. Eating bagels and spending time at the beach are my two favorite things to do back at home in New York, so, this experience brought back a taste of home. I ordered the classic 'NY Bacon, Egg & Cheese' on an egg bagel, and it did not disappoint."

Another fan in the crowd, Ned Siegel, stopped by for an egg bagel with cream cheese. "H&H bagels is known as one of the best bagels in all of New York City," he tells New Times. "We're originally from the Northeast, but we've been here since 1988, so I only have them when we go back to New York. Therefore, when we heard it was opening, we were very excited and glad that they came to Boca because their bagels are second to none."

What's All This "Potchke" (Fuss) About?

So, why do people wake up so early and line up for the bagels? The answer is simple: as opposed to serving a "New York-style" bagel, H&H is sticking to its traditional artisanal way of making the bagels, which begins in New York and ships them to Boca Raton to then be freshly baked.

Therefore, these bagels aren't New York-style — they're literally New York bagels. The bagels sitting at the Boca location are the exact bagels in Manhattan.

"H&H is a historic iconic New York brand," adds Rushin. "To not supply the brand and the country with authentic New York bagels seems counter to what our brand is all about. We have worked for years at making it happen, perfecting the process, and making sure that the bagels that are sitting in these baskets in bulk are the same bagels that are sitting in our baskets in New York City."

Ryan Klepper, director of operations at H&H Bagels, who spent the morning helping the Boca team with the overflow of customers, says it takes years to come up with this fast-paced, modern, focused environment that takes the New York bagel experience to other states.

"Our dream is to educate the entire country on the New York bagel experience seen through the eyes of H&H bagels," says Klepper. "We dream that a kid in Knoxville, Tennessee, can grab a bacon, egg, and cheese every morning before school, and a mom in Boca Raton, Florida, can grab a Nova sandwich on her lunch break of only 30 minutes. Even if there's a line, she doesn't have to wait. I think Boca Raton is the perfect place for the first location because this is where all the real New Yorkers come, so we're catering to our people and we know if they love it, everyone all over the globe will too."

@hhbagels TOMORROW is the Grand Opening of H&H Bagels Boca Raton!!! 🥳 Details below ⬇️ 🎉 GRAND OPENING 🎉 ⏰ Wednesday 10/2, 6:00AM 🤩 First 200 customers will receive a mystery H&H Tote Bag with any purchase (each tote holds a gift card with a random value - some up to $100)! 📍 2200 Glades Rd, Boca Raton FL 33431 #hhbagels #bocaraton #boca #floridafoodie #southflorida #bagelsoftiktok #bageltok #floridaeats #bocaratonflorida #bocafoodie ♬ Saving Up - Dom Dolla

A Successful First Day in Boca With More Florida Locations Underway

As New Yorkers piled into H&H Bagels Wednesday morning in Boca, many of whom ran into friends and even family members who were also ordering, it was easy to overhear the sighs of approval with every first bite that filled the room.

Bestsellers include the classic bacon, egg, and cheese that melts, earning an honorable cheese pull, and the Nova salmon that comes so full you have to be careful not to let any of the goods spill.

While no customer waited longer than a few minutes after ordering, at noon, the shop still maintained a long line of customers who kept coming through the door.

"We appreciate the enthusiasm and the response from the community," says Rushin. "Anytime you open a new location, you're always wondering, 'Is anyone going to show up?' So, the fact that this many people have showed up from Boca is really encouraging, and we're thrilled to have them all here. It's been a lot of work to get to this day, but it's all worth it when you get to opening date and you see smiling faces.'"

For those hoping to try the bagels in other parts of Florida, Boca is only the start of its Sunshine State takeover. Rushin already confirmed the next openings will be in West Palm Beach and Tampa, and he hopes the brand makes its way down to Miami soon.

H&H Bagels. 2200 Glades Rd., Boca Raton; hhbagels.com.