SEPTEMBER 9 • 2021 | 47

store a lot more insight into the 
business.

AFTER THE PANDEMIC
Similar to most businesses 
during the pandemic, New 
York Bagel faced its challenges, 
such as having to shut down 
for a month and a half. The 
Goldsmiths believe they were 
fortunate in many respects, 
though, seeing most of their 
staff return for reopening while 
so many businesses didn’t come 
back at all.
“When we came back, it was 
a little bit of a slow start, but 
that’s when we really enhanced 
our ability to take care of the 
GrubHub and DoorDash orders 
and our ability to take orders 
online from customers, doing 

curbside and such,
” Phil 
said. “It hasn’t been an easy 
16 months, but we’re still 
here and kicking.
” 
Surviving a pandemic, 
Howard Goldsmith realizes 
how much his son’s contri-
butions in the technology 
area have been to their 
business.
“We can’t believe the number 
of DoorDash and GrubHub 
orders we get, and people want 
the convenience of ordering 
online and doing curbside 
service if they request it,
” 
Goldsmith said. “This is about 
taking care of customers. If it 
weren’t for Phil, we wouldn’t 
be doing all of that, so it’s very 
important that he’s been here.
”
For Phil Goldsmith, the 

future of New York Bagel will 
be carried by a recurring theme 
in its 100-year success story: 
consistency. 
“We’re going to keep doing 
things the same way from an 
ingredient and process perspec-
tive. We’ll be looking at other 
ways to enhance our offerings 
to customers and opportuni-
ties for additional locations, 
expanding our customer base 
and continuing to give back to 
the community,
” he said. 

Goldsmith also hopes to 
leverage technology more to 
help growth, including enhanc-
ing the store’s social media 
presence.
“To a large degree though, 
we’ve been successful for 100 
years because we don’t change 
our process and the funda-
mentals of what we’re doing. 
We’ll be continuing to be out 
there making the best bagels in 
Detroit.
”

PHOTOS BY JERRY ZOLYNSKY

1. Torrance Jones of East Pointe puts seasoning on the bagels. 
2. Slava Galaiko of Oak Park pulls dough out of a giant mixer. 3. 
Torrance Jones and Kyle Sandtveic of Pleasant Ridge put season-
ing on the bagels. 4. Timothy McNeal of Detroit throws cornmeal 
onto the bagel trays. 5. Hattie Golembiewski of Ferndale gathers 
bagels for customers. 

1.
2.

3.
4.

5.

continued on page 48

