Beloved Upper West Side mainstay Absolute Bagels has reportedly closed its doors for good.
A sign posted to the door of the shop on Broadway, between West 107th and 108th streets, reads “WE ARE CLOSED.” Employees could be seen tossing store equipment into a dumpster on Friday.
What You Need To Know
- Beloved Upper West Side mainstay Absolute Bagels has reportedly closed its doors for good
- A sign posted to the door of the shop on Broadway, between West 107th and 108th streets, reads “WE ARE CLOSED"
- Several workers and a broker for the building told the West Side Rag that the closure would be permanent
Several workers and a broker for the building told the West Side Rag — which first reported the news — that the closure would be permanent.
While neither the West Side Rag nor The New York Times could reach Absolute Bagels’ owner for comment, both outlets noted that the shop failed a city Department of Health inspection on Wednesday.
The agency ordered it to shutter temporarily after finding evidence of rats and roaches, among other violations, a city database shows.
Patrons on Friday expressed shock and dismay over the unexpected closure.
“Oh man, this is outrageous. They didn’t even tell nobody that they were closing or anything, they didn’t give us a heads up,” Jonathan Lugo, who works in the neighborhood, told NY1. “This is a great bagel store. For so many years, it’s been here.”
Longtime Upper West Side resident Jane Blumenstein, meanwhile, described the shop as a “neighborhood fixture.”
The cash-only establishment was rarely without a line out the door.
“I can’t believe it’s closing, and without any warning,” Blumenstein said. “No way to emotionally prepare ourselves for this, because this place is like, out of control, it’s won all the awards, it’s the best bagels on the planet.”
The eatery recently landed on the Times’ list of best bagels in the city, with the paper describing its wares as “worth both waiting in the omnipresent line and taking out cash for.”
“It is a huge blow for the neighborhood. Tough way to wake up on a cold, wintry day when all you want is a nice warm bagel to warm your heart,” Blumenstein said.
“I mean, I walk down here a lot on a Saturday morning and I see the line round the corner,” she added. “It’s going to be dearly missed by the neighborhood.”