Doylestown Celebrates A Bagel-Making Legend At Retirement Block Party

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — Longtime customers, coworkers and fans of the Bagel Barrel turned out Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the retirement of the store’s founder and owner, Patrick Murphy.

During a block party thrown in his honor by the Bagel Boys, the town's bagel-making legend accepted citations and proclamations from the Senate of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and from Doylestown Borough commending him for 31 years of hard work and bagel goodness.

In 1993 Murphy opened the Bagel Barrel in Doylestown Borough, building it into a gathering place over the years "where regulars are treated like family and staff are mainstays of the community."

“Patrick has given 31 years of loyal service to this town that he adopted,” Bagel Barrel manager Jason Gawronski told a crowd of regulars and friends gathered in front of the East State Street store. “He started a bagel shop 31 years ago, almost 32 years ago without knowing what it would become. We’ve heard the ‘i’ word now for a month. We know what that word is - institution. I speak on behalf of the bagel boys when I say that we’re proud to be a part of it.

Bagel Barrel manager Jason Gawronski addresses the gathering. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Retiring owner and founder of the Bagel Barrel Patrick Murphy. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Pat Murphy with members of the Doylestown Fire Company. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Doylestown Borough Council President Jack O'Brien presented Pat Murphy with a proclamation from Mayor Noni West. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

“Through all the thick and thin, the hard work that we’ve gone through, if it wasn’t for you guys we wouldn’t be here,” he told the gathering. “And we don’t plan on going anywhere.”

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 is unbelievable,” said Murphy, finding a moment to comment on the retirement celebration in between hugs and handshakes. “This has been everything to me," he said of the store. "When I first opened the doors in 1993, I didn’t know what I had.”

"I Never Chose Bagels. Bagels Chose Me."

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 31 years ago, it was Alfred Kahn's fifth generation bagel recipe that gave him the edge and turned the Bagel Barrel into a success.

It also made a fan out of Doylestown Borough Council President Jack O'Brien, a native New Yorker who, during his working years, would stop at the store every morning to pick up a bagel.

"They are the closest I've found to New York," said O'Brien.

"My customers have been absolutely fantastic," said Murphy. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be in business. If it wasn't for my staff, I wouldn't be in business."

What's Next For The Bagel Barrel?

Two longtime friends and business partners - Steve Cassidy and Nick Muzyczka - will be taking over the business when Patrick officially retires later this fall. The two met while living in the Newtown area and attending Council Rock High School.

"We wanted to get involved with an already established so we could go in and be the caregivers so to speak," said Muzyczka. "Steve and I have been very successful and we felt that this was the perfect opportunity to get involved with a long standing business and with the community."

What's their message to the customers?

"The bagels will never change," said Muzyczka. "I promise you that the bagels will never change."