Bagel Barrel Changes Hands In Doylestown: What New Owners Are Saying

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — An iconic Doylestown Borough eatery quietly changed hands on Monday.

Bucks County natives Steve Cassidy and Nick Muzyczka took over the day-to-day operations of the Bagel Barrel from long-time owner, founder and local bagel-making legend Patrick Murphy, who opened the business just over 32 years ago on West State Street.

Murphy announced in late summer that he had sold the business, but that it would continue operating with the same familiar faces at the helm and the same delicious bagels, said to be the best in Bucks County if not the region.

“This place is special. There is no doubt about that. You can feel it as soon as you walk in the door,” wrote the new owners on Facebook. “What started as a simple bagel shop just over 32 years ago has become so much more than that.

"The Bagel Barrel has been a staple in such an amazing community where not only neighbors, friends and family can grab a quick bite but can pick up that must-have morning treat for the holidays, be one of the first stops back after being away from home for college, is an easy choice for those morning breakfast meetings or on the way to school, and well...everything in between," they wrote.

The Bagel Barrel, they said, is always the first in line to donate to that school or community
function and the place that "guarantees you'll know at least a handful of names and always see some smiling faces.

“Doylestown is lucky to have a place like the Bagel Barrel, but the truth is the Bagel Barrel is lucky to be a part of a town like Doylestown. There really is no other town like it," wrote the partners.

Murphy, who grew up in Wrightstown, started his working career at Langhorne Ski and Sport where he was employed as a clothing manager and taught rollerblading classes.

Later, after losing a job at a clothing store in Princeton, Murphy landed a job working at a bagel shop owned by Alfred Kahn, a fifth-generation bagel maker. "It was going to be a temporary job, but it turned out to be an unbelievable thing," he said. "I never chose bagels. Bagels chose me."

When he opened the Bagel Barrel 32 years ago, it was Alfred Kahn's fifth-generation bagel
recipe that gave him the edge and turned the Bagel Barrel into a regional success.

“Today marks a different kind of special day for this place, as we'll be stepping in as the new owners to take the reins over from Patrick Murphy. Patrick has been looking for just the right person to pass this shop on to and luckily he found two."

The business partners and longtime friends were both born and raised in Bucks County. They met while living in the Newtown area and attending Council Rock High School.

“We were both born and raised in Bucks County, so we know what this shop means to this community and understand what it really represents," they wrote. "We both feel lucky and blessed to have the honor of carrying on this shop and is something that is not taken for granted.

"It's our pledge to this great community to keep the Bagel Barrel's legacy around for the next 32 years and beyond," the partners wrote. "One thing is for sure - the bagels will never change. WE PROMISE!

“Congratulations Patrick in a much-earned retirement and thank you for making this place as special as it is. We'll take the best care of it for you and for this town.”