Photo by @dannybryanm
On Monday, a Reddit thread featured a sign reading “Re-Open” next to the words “New Absolute Bagel,” displayed at the same iconic location as Absolute Bagels, which closed in December 2024 following a failed health inspection.
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ILTUWS briefly spoke with Samak Thongkrieng, who founded Absolute Bagels in 1990 and built it into one of the city’s premier bagel destinations. He told us he was leaving the business and, sounding overwhelmed, said he didn’t want to discuss it. We thanked him for his work over the years. This led us to explore what’s coming next.
“I think he retired and moved back to Thailand because he was just too old to do it, and he didn’t want—he didn’t want his baby sold,” said Rafe Evans, broker of the property from Walker, Malloy & Company, which is now leased to a new tenant. Evans credited Thongkrieng for never missing a single rent payment, even during the pandemic. That location, at 2788 Broadway near West 108th Street, is probably one of the most anticipated bagel openings around here in a long time.
Evans called the new tenants one of the “smaller guys” in the bagel landscape who “got a lot of goodwill for taking this location.” He speculated that more famous brands didn’t need to bother with the hallowed ground Absolute left behind, as they’ve already built their identities elsewhere. Still, there’s a hole in our hearts with the loss of a spot many have called their home joint for years.
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“We don’t know what they’re going to call it—if that’s the name now or just a placeholder. We just don’t know,” Evans added. He wished them good luck but could not disclose the name of the incoming tenant on our call.
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One Reddit commenter wrote, “Seriously doubt this is the real deal”—the most upvoted comment in the thread so far. They might be onto something if Thongkrieng hasn’t passed on his recipes. Further down the list, another commenter added, “I’m looking forward to it, hopefully it’s the same-ish!” Same enough for it to matter, at least.
We’re excited to try a new bagel spot and will keep an eye out for any announcements about who the new purveyors are. Hey, they’ve got to have bagel pudding if it’s an Absolute, right?
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No body, but nobody, makes bagels as good as those that were made in the mid 1960’s, at Pop’s Bagels in Hewlett, Long Island, and Mom’s Bagels in Lawrence Long Island. RIP Mr. Wolin.
In addition to great sesame bagels (my favorite), The owners and servers at Absolute Bagels were always warn, welcoming and so friendly. They even remembered me after a two year absence. When I came back they were so happy to see me. I’m not a celebrity of any kind and was really moved by such royal treatment. I will greatly miss them and their great bagels.
Remaining optimistic, and excited to have another option in the area, but “Re-Open” on that sign is disingenuous if it’s not the same shop or owner.
I hope to see the same staff behind the counter when they open — if they haven’t brought back the staff it’s not really Absolute!
I hope they accept credit cards !!!!