09/17/2025
We know how important prompt service is, especially at our new downtown location, and we are always trying to optimize our operation to improve speed and quality.
Toasting bagels affects both the speed of our operation and the quality of our bagels in ways that are more nuanced than they might seem (fresh bagels like ours toast differently than day-olds and frozen bagels, and different bagel flavors even toast differently on the same toaster setting). We’ve seen some comments online from people feeling like we’ve tried to “shame” people into not toasting, but that’s really never been our intention. We’ve just done countless bagel toasting tests and have seen how much it can negatively impact our bagels, especially if they are going to travel before being consumed (which the majority of our sandwiches do).
That’s why we originally tried to offer a light toast and a regular toast (twice through the toaster). The idea was to give people options since the proper intensity of toasting is also extremely subjective. But this ultimately caused confusion for customers and slowed down our sandwich team massively, especially downtown.
So we’re going back to the basics here. Bagel sandwiches can be untoasted or toasted. That’s it. After a lot of experimentation, toasted for us is once through at 6.5/10 on the toaster. They come out hot, the crust is crunchy, and there is some moderate browning on the edges of the crumb, sometimes even a kiss of blackening.
Counter to what some on the internet may feel, our goal every day is to make as many people happy as possible. We’re not doing open-heart surgery over here and try not to take ourselves too seriously, but we also know folks count on us to deliver a quality product (sometimes for very important events and celebrations). We’re always trying to strike the right balance to please everybody, but sometimes we have to make tough decisions. Of course, if you ever have an issue with your order, please reach out to us directly so we can make it right.
As always, thank you for the support! And thank you for your attention to this important toasting matter.
