GA_021419

glencoeanchor.com dining out
the glencoe anchor | February 14, 2019 | 23
Community first for Northbrook’s Big Apple Bagels
Michal Dwojak
Contributing Sports Editor
Maria and Hector Barbosa
already knew the essential
element to starting
out in the bagel business:
making the dough.
Hector had been the
baker for Big Apple Bagels
in Northbrook when the
store officially opened in
1995, but when there was
a change at the head of the
Northbrook shop, he approached
Maria about the
opportunity to take over.
She had experience as a
restaurant manager and a
background in accounting,
so it all seemed to add up
to a winning recipe.
The Barbosas took over
the Northbrook franchise
in 2001 and have become
a part of the Northbrook
community ever since.
“It doesn’t feel like a
franchise store, it feels like
Hector and Maria’s store,”
Maria said. “We want people
to feel comfortable and
blend in with the community.”
The two knew they
wanted to blend in with
the community from the
beginning. With many
different sports and youth
activities centers close to
the bagel shop, plenty of
families stop in after and
get to know the leaders of
what many consider one of
the best bagel places in the
area.
Maria believes her shop
offers children something
they can’t get anywhere
else: a choice. Many parents
like to send their children
into the store so they
can choose what they want
to eat. She believes they
get to learn about what
they like, and in the same
time, the Barbosas learn
more about the families in
the area.
That bond is why the
Big Apple Bagels also offers a wide selection of
muffins.
two franchise owners feel
so close to their customers.
They watch as kids grow
up and eventually come
back when they’re adults.
“We feel like they have
made us a part of their
family and community,”
Maria said.
One thing that continues
to bring people back in
is the quality of the food.
Hector has used his experience
to create the besttasting
bagel that also is
made the right way. The
bagels are made early in
the morning and baked in
steam — no oil, butter or
anything else.
That’s what Maria believes
is the reason why
they’ve built such a strong
relationship with the community.
Everything is
made from scratch in the
shop, which is why so
many people tell her the
bagels stay fresh throughout
the day, no matter what
day it is.
“That makes people
want to come back, and
when they taste it, it’s totally
different,” Maria said.
With such glowing remarks,
editors from 22nd
Century Media had to see
what all the praise was
about. The editors entered
into the homey shop smelling
the fresh aromas of bagels
and sweets to find a
Big Apple Bagels
3137 Dundee Road,
Northbrook
(847) 498-7850
Bigapplebagels.com
6 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-
Friday
7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday
Closed Sunday
wide range of them right
in front of them behind the
counter.
The Barbosas first offered
the Start Fresh
($4.99) breakfast sandwich,
which includes
scrambled eggs, sausage
and cheese served on the
customer’s choice of bagel
— a filling and warm way
to start the day.
Editors tried the Lox &
Cream Cheese sandwich
($8.99) next, which Maria
said is one of the shop’s
fan favorites. The sandwich
includes lox, cream
cheese, tomato and red onion,
and is a good way to
get a classic option when
it comes to bagel sandwiches.
We moved on to lunch
and tried the Turkey Club
($6.49), which was a great
spin on a classic. The Big
Apple Bagels’ version,
which includes roast turkey,
bacon, American
cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce
and tomato, is a great
option for lunch.
The Start Fresh ($4.99) breakfast sandwich includes scrambled eggs, sausage and
cheese on any type of bagel. Photos by Jason Addy/22nd Century Media
Big Apple Bagels’ Lox & Cream Cheese sandwich ($8.99) features lox, cream cheese,
tomato and red onion on a bagel of the customer’s choice.