Gables Bagels has expanded its business on Kirkwood Avenue.
The new location is inside POSH Boutique Hotel at 200 E. Kirkwood Ave. The new store opened in early September.
The shop offers 10 New York-style bagels as well as sandwiches and sides.
Ed Schwartzman, the owner of Gables Bagels and BuffaLouie’s, said his philosophy for the new location was if customers see a line out the door at the other location, they can just walk two or three blocks to Kirkwood.
“It was a brand-new building,” Schwartzman said. “I thought it was a new opportunity to associate myself with this gorgeous new hotel, and we took a shot.”
Gables Bagels has its own cafe inside the lobby of the POSH Boutique Hotel. The hotel opened to guests Oct. 1.
“A friend of mine, Elliot Lewis, the owner of the hotel, one day came into the bagel shop and started talking about a hotel he’s building,” Schwartzman said. “He said, ‘I got room for a cafe in there,’ and I said, ‘I’d like to apply for the job,’ and one thing led to another, we came up with an agreement and here we is.”
The new location is more appealing to customers like Bloomington resident Jacci Wood and IU junior Raquella Pagano, who described it as more convenient, having better seating and a better flow of service.
Wood said she’s been a customer at the new location since it opened.
“I feel like it moves smoother and it’s less crowded,” Wood said.
Along with Bloomington residents, Indiana University students have been frequenting the new location. Pagano is a longtime customer of Gables and said the new store was closer to her apartment.
“It’s not as crowded, it’s quicker, it’s a vibe, there’s more seating,” Pagano said.
The two stores differ in their seating arrangements. The Third Street location has a few seating options available inside and out, while the Kirkwood location offers a large outside seating area.
“It fits in perfectly, it’s great,” Bloomington resident Adam Sulinski said. “The other one is surrounded by smoke shops, so where you park, you’re going to have to walk up these jagged steps to get to it, so it’s much better.”
Schwartzman said it’s no coincidence the newest Gables Bagels is located on Kirkwood, one of the most popular streets in Bloomington. Schwartzman said people are more likely to come to the new shop spontaneously due to the new location.
“Our original location, if you’re not intentionally going there, you’re not coming there,” Schwartzman said. “So, we get a lot of incidental business which is nice. It’s a busy street, and if you want to catch fish, you got to fish where the fish are.”
Schwartzman said although the shop is still getting established, it’s already picking up plenty of business.
“(It) helped us grow from brand recognition because for families staying (at the POSH Hotel), it might be their first time in Bloomington, so they’re not familiar with Gables Bagels and there’s this great bagel shop in the lobby so certainly just getting the brand out there,” Schwartzman said.
Along with the new addition to Kirkwood, Gables Bagels is set to open a new storefront in Zionsville, Indiana, with no set opening date.
