Bronx Bagel Buggy Scores Tops for Deli
Julie Dragich and Steve Novotny get up in the wee hours to oversee an in-depth menu made on site down to the thin flat flagels, bagels, bialys, and huge variety of spreads, salads, and desserts.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Julie Dragich and Steve Novotny proclaimed, “When a Polish girl from Cleveland meets an Italian boy from the Bronx, you get authentic New York style bagels” and tons more.
They started in the bagel biz during the pandemic when Dragich lost her job and the pair started playing around with bagel recipes at the Brookhaven Farmers Market in 2021, then expanded to Alpharetta, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs markets.
The brick-and-mortar facility opened in January 2024 in downtown Chamblee. Now with 15 employees, Bronx Bagel Buggy is making its mark as “an authentic New York Style grab-and-go shop,” with an appealing variety of products. Dragich and Novotny live together and bake together, everything from scratch.
Explaining the arrangement, Novotny said, “I mostly run the front of house, and with Julie handling the kitchen, marketing and sales. I was raised in the deli business, and Julie was a sales executive for an IT datacenter infrastructure company.” When asked what makes an authentic New York style bagel, Dragich describes it as “crunchy outside, airy on the inside with a good chew, made with traditional ingredients.”
Bagels are made onsite by a professional hand roller who moved here from Long Island. He makes the dough, rolls the bagels, then kettle boils and bakes them in a stone-lined revolving oven. While everything, sesame, and plain are the most popular choices, some creative and more unusual flavors include asiago jalapeno, rosemary sea salt and cinnamon crunch. All salads and spreads are also made onsite as are the half sour pickles. Then there’s latkes, flagels, spreads, desserts, sandwiches, lattes, mugs, and even T-shirts.
Atlantans need to get familiar with these bialys. Dragich uses her grandmother’s recipe with soft dough, not boiled. The end result is a light airy oval roll with onions and poppy seed, and the option of a summer spin with tomato, garlic and basil. Dragich describes their yummy babka choices: “Made from scratch – not purchased frozen. We make all of our baked goods in-house. Our most popular babka flavors are chocolate and cinnamon, then there’s strawberry, blueberry, apple, Nutella, pistachio/chocolate.”
Bronx Bagel Buggy has a fun atmosphere, extending its red and white checkered theme into the product wrappings. But this food is not just about the cute covers; the “Bronx” authenticity and product depth is top tier in quality and creativity (one display was oozing with yummy Cookie Monster babkas). We tried bagels that were hefty giants. The spreads were really delish — honey fig, scallion, vegan roasted veggie (really chunky), raspberry jalepeno (indescribably zingy), honey sriracha, olive, lox/cream cheese. The talent is not just in thinking these up, but in executing.
BBB has online ordering and catering and has served baby namings and mitzvahs. They prepare salad platters like whitefish, tuna, chopped liver, and chicken salad, pimento cheese, fruit platters, and lunch boxes. They also make mini babka, rugalach, black and whites, and a variety of baked goods on platters.
By choosing a Chamblee location (near Whole Foods and the popular Eli’s Pita), BBB brings an influx of a more “hip” crowd, as Dragich sees a “mix of trend setters, young families, millennials, lots of New Yorkers and Northerners. We also have many Jewish families.”
In addition to the “human” menu, dog treats are up for grabs. BBB worked with a vendor to make dog biscuits shaped like bagels with natural ingredients like peanut butter and bacon.
For a typical day, Dragich and Novotny arrive onsite at 5 a.m. after waking up at 4 a.m. with the exception of Saturdays when they are onsite at 4 a.m. They close at 2 p.m. and usually leave by 4 p.m. Customers are encouraged to register online as VIPs to receive special offers and notifications about upcoming events and promotions; the bagel shop is also in the process of starting a loyalty program.
Is franchising in the future? “Yes,” said Dragich. “We will eventually get there. We have had many people approach us about franchising our concept.”
Approximately 95 percent of their business is takeout, and they have seating inside and outside for 20 people. Unsold food is donated to Bagel Rescue.
Bottom line: The food at BBB is “the real deal” delivering New York quality down south.
Bronx Bagel Buggy is located at 5494 Peachtree Road. 678-587-5711. Closed Monday through Wednesday. Open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.
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