A West Village landlord has launched a schmear campaign against a wildly successful bagel shop, threatening to evict the bakers — because they’re just too popular.
The owner of the Greenwich Avenue site of Apollo Bagels — recently named a top bagelry by the New York Times and Yelp — gripes that the store’s lines are so long, they violate the shop’s lease by blocking the doors of neighboring tenants.
But the bagel store’s owners say the landlord’s argument has bigger holes than their special sourdough New York fare — and just filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court to try to halt their eviction.
The landlord of Apollo Bagels’ Greenwich Village location claims the business is violating its lease. Michael Nagle
The owner of the building claims that the popular bagel store’s lines have gotten too long. Michael NagleSince opening the bagel hotspot at the corner of Greenwich and West 11th Street in August, Apollo has won over a “cult-like following,” their suit says.
And that’s the problem, says landlord, BLDG Management Co., which is owned by investor Lloyd Goldman.
Hungry bagel fanatics have been blocking the doors of at least two shops next door to Apollo Bagels, according to an eviction warning letter sent to the shop from the landlord — who says it has received numerous complaints from the frustrated other stores.
The building owner said in the notice that if Apollo Bagels fails to direct “the customer line in an unobtrusive direction” by Nov. 30, it will cancel its lease.
The building owner said in the notice that if Apollo Bagels fails to direct “the customer line in an unobtrusive direction” by Nov. 30, it will cancel its lease. Stefano Giovannini
Lines for the bagel shop often stretch around the block. Stefano GiovanniniSince receiving the notice, the bagel shop has tried to mitigate the problems with its lines by posting stanchion ropes, signs and even a full-time employee tasked as a line monitor, according to its lawsuit.
Despite the efforts, the only solution the landlord says is acceptable would be to divert the line from Greenwich Avenue to West 11th Street, the suit says.
The bagel shop said it has tried to explain that diverting the line down the “significantly narrower” residential street would cause even more problems.
Apollo Bagels has filed a lawsuit in the Manhattan Supreme Court to try to halt their eviction. Michael NagleOne time, it attempted to implement the landlord’s solution but found the crowds blocked residential buildings and another tenant, a wine bar with outdoor seating, with little room to spare for passing pedestrians, it argues.
“Nonetheless, Landlord has continued to demand that Apollo run the line up 11th Street while still refusing to withdraw the Default Notice,” the suit says.
The shop’s lawyer, Steven Fox of Wrobel Markham, told The Post that Apollo has been working with its neighbors, who he said appear to understand the viral bagel shop’s growing pains.
The bagel shop said it has tried to explain that diverting the line down the “significantly narrower” residential street would cause even more problems. Stefano Giovannini“Apollo will continue to mitigate any disruption caused by the customer line,” Fox said. “But finds it odd that their landlord is looking to punish them for being successful.”
A worker at a nearby business, while frustrated by the bagel store’s incursion into the area, admitted, “I’m not sure why we have to fight.
“It’s like World War II over what? Bagels?” she told The Post.
BLDG Management Co. did not reply to a Post request for comment.
Many workers and managers at the bagel shop’s neighbors — who would only speak anonymously to The Post — describe a nearly impenetrable line for the bagel store since it opened.
They complained that the bagel-loving customers pressed up against storefront windows and doors and that, with bagels finally in hand, they sit on shop planters and even at the outdoor seating of a next-door restaurant to eat their doughy treats.
One local worker said their business has gotten complaints from their customers but that recently, the issues have lessened somewhat.
“It’s better when it’s down West 11th,” the worker said.
At another nearby shop, workers blamed Instagram and TikTok for creating the bagel hype.
“It’s social media,” an employee told The Post. “What can you do?”
Another worker said some of their customers think the line is for their store and decide to skip for a line-free shop elsewhere.
“They think the queue is for us, and they don’t want to wait,” she told The Post.
She said she occasionally gets rude responses from bagel-line waiters when she asks them politely to move from her shop’s door and that things have gotten slightly contentious between the businesses.
Apollo’s recently hired line manager has helped to separate the line into two sections, mitigating a critical bottleneck, the other store’s worker said.
“If they are able to keep that up — separating the line — it can work,” she said.
Apollo Bagels was founded by the owners of Williamsburg pizzeria, Leo, and began as a hugely popular pop-up featuring unique sourdough bagels. It opened its first location in the spring in the East Village, followed by the now-contentious West Village spot this past summer.
A Williamsburg location in Brooklyn is coming soon, according to their Instagram account, and will be followed by a Jersey City, NJ, location in the spring, Eater NY reports.






