Schmendrick's Bagels Calls It Quits

Sad news for bagel fans: pop-up Schmendrick's, which earned best-bagel plaudits from the Chronicle and San Francisco mag and coverage in The New York Times, has decided not to move ahead with its plans for a full business operation. The company has been on hiatus since December, and faced with the challenges of finding a permanent location in a tough real-estate market, not to mention raising funds, the Schmendrick's crew decided to call it a day. As co-founder David Kover tells the J Weekly, "At this point in our operation, we reached a tipping point where we outgrew our old kitchen, and looking at going forward, there was no viable option. It's a big leap to go to the next level. It's not a decision we made lightly, which is why we have been so reluctant to announce it." Kover and his wife Dagny Dingman (another co-founder) recently had a baby, which was another reason not to take the financial plunge.

"It's really sad. We worked real hard at it," Kover added. "I think we all harbor fantasies about what Schmendrick's might have been." There's one chance for Schmendrick's to be revived, though: if investment money, a prime location, or a buyout fell into their laps, Kover says the team "would think very hard about it."

· Schmendricks bagels closes up shop for good [J Weekly]
· Schmendrick's Bagels Launches [~ ESF ~]