Pictured: Caption: Formerly Brooklyn Bagels, Bagels & Brews has a new name and a new menu. Provided photo.

Nick Mavrikas couldn’t stay away from the bagel business for long—after selling Brooklyn Bagels in 2023, he reacquired the store location and opened it under a new name, Bagels & Brews, in June. “We realized pretty quickly, after selling Brooklyn Bagels, how much we missed being in the bagel and customer service business. We missed serving our community,” Mavrikas says.

Mavrikas was a loyal customer of Brooklyn Bagels even before he bought the store in 2018. “I fell in love with the employees and the food,” Mavrikas says. “When the owner was looking for an exit strategy, we were in a position to buy the shop. For me, it was really about an opportunity to acquire the employees and the restaurant and take it to the next level.” After five years of owning Brooklyn Bagels, he knew it was time to take a step back and focus on his family and sold the restaurant to the local chain, Buddy’s Bagels.

However, after just two years away, Mavrikas was ready to dive back in. He bought the store back from Buddy’s Bagels, renovated and rebranded as Bagels & Brews. With this rebrand came an expanded menu. “We had already figured out the bagels, so we thought, ‘let's really expand on the beverage side,’” he says. The bagel shop now features a variety of refreshers, a plant-based energy drink made with Lotus Plant Power mix, as well as cold brew and nitro cold brew on-tap.

Bagels & Brews still offers the fresh, made-daily bagels Mavrikas has always been passionate about. The menu features seventeen different bagels and nine cream cheese flavors, ranging from simple classics to unique flavor combinations, such as the jalapeno cheddar bagel or honey walnut cream cheese.

Mavrikas, who missed the customer service industry during his two-year hiatus, strives to make his store as warm and inviting as possible. “The store is a breath of fresh air. When you walk in, it's bright, it's airy, and we’ll welcome you in for some great service.” After his first few months readjusting to owning a bagel business, Mavrikas plans to focus on introducing new bagel recipes as weekly specials, expanding the drink menu and strengthening the store’s relationship with the Sarasota community.

Bagels & Brews, 6970 S Beneva Rd, Sarasota, 941-993-1577.

Pictured: Caption: Formerly Brooklyn Bagels, Bagels & Brews has a new name and a new menu. Provided photo.