The bagel went down to Georgia: Melvyn & Elmo's opens 1st unit

Nation's Restaurant News, May 5, 1997

MARIETTA, Ga. - Melvyn & Elmo's Bagels rolled out the proverbial welcome mat and invited neighbors to the recent opening of its first shop, located here. The unit was the first of five scheduled to open in the metro Atlanta area by the end of last month and one of 20 planned to open in that market by year-end.

Each Melvyn & Elmo's Bagels shop will be designed as a 'home away from home,' emanating a casual, relaxed ambience through the use of warm colors and comfortable seating, according to the company. A typical Melvyn & Elmo's unit will encompass roughly 1,500 to 3,000 square feet of retail space and may accommodate as many as 30 to 50 people inside in addition to providing outdoor patio seating.

'We want customers to think of Melvyn & Elmo's Bagels as their next-door neighbor - a place to hang out and catch up on the local gossip,' said Tony Hall, general manager of the first Melvyn & Elmo's unit, who envisions the chain as 'a place where they can enjoy the authentic tastes of bagel bakery in the homey surroundings of a neighborhood coffee shop.'

Melvyn & Elmo's menu includes 16 varieties of flesh-baked bagels and 11 specialty cream-cheese 'schmears' as well as 'bottomless' cups of coffee and a full line of soups, salads and bagel sandwiches.

The chain sets itself apart from competitors by offering 'puppy seed' bagels for canine visitors and by taking an active role in the community, primarily by providing community activity calendars and bulletin boards and assisting local schools, churches and not-for-profit organizations.

Melvyn & Elmo's Bagels is part of fast-growing bagel retail concern Einstein/Noah Bagel Corp. Gulfstream Bagels of Boca Raton, Fla., owns and operates Melvyn & Elmo's Bagels units in the metro Atlanta area.