May 20, 2022 Return of the Bagel: Brueggers re-opens at the Old Corner Bookstore
If you’ve been hankering for a bagel in downtown Boston, the good news is that long time purveyor Brueggers Bagels is open again at the historic Old Corner Bookstore after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 closures.
In March 2020, like most retail enterprises in the city, Brueggers closed in response to the wider retreat to home of downtown workers. It wasn’t until early 2022, when workers began going back to their offices in larger numbers, that Brueggers began preparing for re-opening.
After renovations to their kitchen and dining area, and installation of a new heating and cooling system, Brueggers opened on May 13th at 7 School Street with an entirely new staff and a new look. And the menu has changed too. The ubiquitous bagel remains in many different flavors, but a fleet of new breakfast and lunch sandwiches appear on the menu, all featuring a bagel and Bruegger’s specially flavored cream cheeses.
For Historic Boston (HBI), the retail operations at the Old Corner Bookstore are important sources of earned income for the non-profit building owner. Not only do revenues from leases help to preserve the historic Old Corner Bookstore buildings, but they also help HBI to carry out its projects on endangered buildings throughout Boston.
A company founded in 1983 with one shop in Troy, New York, Brueggers has been at the Old Corner Bookstore for more than 25 years. Until recently, it operated 260 similar bakeries throughout the country. Owned today by an international holding company, Brueggers holds the record for the most bagels produced in one year: 70 million!