Meet the Grasso Family, Owners of Anthony's Bagel Brunch

Welcome back to Down the Boulevard, a feature on Hasbrouck Heights Patch where we ask the business owners in our town a few questions about their business and themselves. Get to know your business owners.

Behind the counter at , one is likely to find the junior or senior Anthony Grasso, father and son, serving up coffee and bagels or making sandwiches for their customers.

The family-run business was started by Anthony Grasso, Jr. who opened the shop a little more than 13 years ago. Years later his father came into the business with him. The family hails from Jersey City and Hoboken. They moved to Hasbrouck Heights around the time Anthony Jr. began school.

A Hasbrouck Heights High School graduate, Anthony Jr. went on to culinary school and from there went on to study management. He started out working for Papa John's opening up shops for the large pizza chain all over New Jersey. He then decided it was time to do his own thing and began to search for a location for his own shop.

Prior to the Grasso family members owning the shop, the 200 Boulevard location was a coffee shop. Anthony Jr. lives just up the street and would often come in for coffee. He happened to mention to the then-owner that he was looking around for a location for his own shop when she suggested he buy her place. Thirteen years later the rest is history, he said.

The day starts at 5:30 a.m. and by 6 a.m. the Grassos are ready to serve up coffee and homemade fresh items to the locals who come in to get their day started. The shop is known for its coffee which a customer told this reporter is the “best on the Boulevard.”

Each day they meet and greet many locals on their way to work and they also frequently encounter many who from out of state, like Virginia, who come in for some Taylor ham, something they can’t get back in their home state.