The Township of Union’s annual food contest took place this August asking bagel lovers to cast their vote for their favorite bagel place in Union. Bagel and Beans, a bagel shop on Chestnut Street, was named the top bagel location in town.
Owned by Jim Tuozzo, the shop was first established roughly seven years ago and has been a growing local business ever since.
Tuozzo used to have a desk job but after deciding he needed a change, learned everything about the bagel business from a neighbor and decided to open his own bagel spot.
He takes pride in being involved in the community and hopes to become a Union staple like their location’s predecessor Menger’s bakery.
"We do a lot for the community and the school system," Bagel and Beans owner Jim said. "We try to donate and help out wherever we can."
Bagels and beans hand rolls all of their bagels and uses only the finest ingredients in the process. On their busiest days they sell more than 500 bagels and are open from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 365 days a year.
“We were even open during Hurricane Sandy,” Tuozzo said.
Also placing in the contest were Bagel Spot and Union Hot Bagels who earned the second and third best bagel place in Union, respectively.
"Union has embraced us and has given us a good business," said Mohammed Mohammed, owner of Union Hot Bagels. "We feel like a family here."
All three bagel spots will be featured as part of a special edition of “Wining and Dining” on Union TV 34 until the end of September. Catch the episode at the 11:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. time slots; the episode can also be found on TV 34’s Vimeo Channel at https://vimeo.com/231445162.
For more information on the Township of Union’s Annual “Best of” Contest, visit them online at www.uniontownship.com or contact the Office of Public Information at 908-851-5096 or via email at publicinfo@uniontownship.com.