A Spot for New York Bagels in West County

Connoisseurs of New York bagels have a new place to go in west Anne Arundel County.

Bagels 'n Grinds recently opened near Arundel Mills in Hanover and offers 15 varieties of the rounded dough, all made using specially filtered water designed to mirror that produced in the Big Apple.

Owner Adam Greenberg said he hopes the bagels will be a main attraction, but that customers will also visit for the coffeehouse atmosphere and other menu items.

“We haven’t reinvented the wheel, we’ve just perfected it,” Greenberg said. “And we’re giving people an environment that our research shows people want. We feel like we’re taking the concept to a whole new level.”

Located adjacent to the Hotel at Arundel Preserve, the restaurant is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and serves not only bagels, but soups, salads and sandwiches. There are also fruit smoothies and desserts on the menu.

And of course, there’s the java. Greenberg has partnered with Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company in Crofton to offer several blends of hot and iced coffee. The coffee bar also features dispensers for milk, cream and sugar—no packets.

All cooking is done on site. Greenberg said he expects to bake bagels all the way through to 2 p.m. each day, increasing a customer’s chances of getting one served hot.

Chefs will also roast chicken and turkey on the premises.

Greenberg is a Montgomery County native who has worked for about 20 years in the restaurant industry. He owns Potomac Pizza, and has also operated Cone Zone, a chain of ice cream parlors.

He said he was first approached by landlords at Arundel Preserve about bringing a Potomac Pizza to the area, but wasn’t sure about opening a new store there. When landlords asked about a breakfast concept, he considered opening a franchise of another bagel chain, but instead decided to open the first Bagels 'n Grinds.

He signed a 10-year lease on the 3,000-square-foot space and sees the restaurant as a prototype. If it's successful, he hopes to open one or two each year.

“We’re going to be here forever,” Greenberg said. 

Bagels 'n Grinds is bright and open, with flat-screen televisions in several corners, including a semi-private room that is available free to community groups. Wireless Internet access is also available to customers at no cost.

Of course, the restaurant’s reputation will rise and fall on the reception of its bagels. Greenberg invested in a custom-made water filtration system on site to replicate the mineral content and flavor of water used in the New York City area. He said the bagels are then made on site using a 10-step process.

“I felt like 99 percent of what these other people sell and call a bagel is just a little round piece of bread with a hole in it,” he said. “This is what a bagel is supposed to be like.”