The growing Chabad community of Kingston, PA, marked another milestone with the official opening of ‘Bagel Bar’ a bakery, cafe, and pizza shop this week.
By Anash.org reporter
Photos: Yossi Forster, Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce
In a giant leap from its humble beginnings in a shul basement, a new bakery, cafe and pizza shop opened this week in Kingston, PA.
The new ‘Bagel Bar’ located at 378 Pierce St. in Kingston, is just a few feet away from the Beis Moshe Shul and the Kingston Kosher grocery and deli. Its opening showcases the incredible growth of the Chabad community, which now boasts numerous shuls, a growing boys and girls school and a number of choices of places to eat.
A large crowd gathered for the official opening on Tuesday, including state Reps. Aaron Kaufer and Alec Ryncavage, Luzerne County Council Member Matt Mitchell, Kingston Mayor Jeff Coslett and Administrator Paul Keating and Mark Grochowski representing Sen. Lisa Baker. The ceremonial ribbon cutting was followed by the sampling of some of the store’s menu items, with a long line stretching out of the store to grab something to eat.
The new shop is a marked difference from the previous kosher pizza shop, which was hosted in the basement of the community’s first shul for a number of years. The pizza shop, which was opened a few days each week, was a blessed outlet for the community, was founded and run by Motti Hershkop, who also owns the new Bagel Bar.
Mainly created as a community outlet, the previous pizza shop was the first kosher eatery for the then-small Chabad community which was only beginning to grow. In a profile of the community written by Ami Magazine a number of years ago, they noted how Motti himself would come to make pizza dough after a long day of work and helping build the community.
That early-on effort paid itself off, and the new Bagel Bar is there to show it. More than just a simple pizza shop, it offers a full cafe menu, a variety of pastries and baked goods, and of course, pizza and fries as well.
Their specialty is their bagels, baked using the traditional methods of New York kettle-boiled bagels. The shop serves the local Jewish community, as well as many travelers and visitors of all walks of life who frequent the area on business or travel to the Poconos on vacation.
Rep. Aaron Kaufer, R-Kingston, said, “I am excited to welcome Bagel Bar to Kingston. The look and feel remind you of a restaurant you might find in New York City, and we’re lucky to have an establishment with such high-quality products open its doors here. I have no doubt that Bagel Bar will be a staple in our community for years to come.”
With an emphasis on quality ingredients and innovative recipes, Bagel Bar is set to become a beloved destination for locals and visitors alike.
To order or for more info, visit bagelbarpa.com.
Looks beautiful – no mention of who is running the Kashrus, is there a Rov Hamachshir?