Green Bagels, Irish Cheddar Cheese Now At Great American Bagel

JOLIET, IL — For thousands of Joliet area residents, St. Patrick's Day marks one of their favorite times of year. And at Great American Bagel, owner Tom Grotovsky has brought back his green bagels by popular demand.

Great American Bagel will make green bagels everyday through St. Patrick's Day.

"We just run these through St. Patrick's Day. People like them because they're a little bit different," Grotovksy said during Monday's interview with Joliet Patch. "They're soft and they're fresh. We color them. They look so nice on the table.

"I've got a lot of calls from people ordering them. They make for a nice (table) display."

Great American Bagel is making two kinds of green bagels. There is a plain one and one with Irish cheddar cheese, better known as Dubliner Cheese.

The plain green bagel is $1.69. The Dubliner Cheese bagel is $2.99.

Grotovsky encourages customers to call ahead with their orders, especially if they want to buy a large quantity.

"So we start out slow, and see how it progresses," he said of his supply volume.

Grotovsky has owned Joliet's Great American Bagel at 11011 Essington Road for nearly nine years. He carries Thomas and Hawaiian Paradise-brand coffees.

Bagels that don't get sold at Great American Bagel in Joliet don't end up in the trash bin. Grotovsky donates his excess bagels to the MorningStar Mission in Joliet and to the Will County Adult Detention Center.

Some days, that's as many as 300 extra bagels being donated.

"In my faith, I'm supposed to feed the hungry," Grotovsky said. "At least I can share some of my wealth with them and some of my food, our bagels."

As for the inmates in the Will County Jail, "they're not all bad," he said.

Once the St. Patrick's Day green bagel blitz is over, Grotovsky is already thinking ahead to the Fourth of July, America's Independence Day.

"Red, white and blue bagels," he said. "I'm working on red, white and blue bagels for the Fourth of July. We'll sell them the week and a half before. Those will probably be popular this year, with everything re-opening."

Great American Bagel is open 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

The phone number to place orders is 815-744-9630.