When Joseph and Yvette Gallachi moved to Aiken in December, they discovered there were no eateries in that area that served New York-style bagels, so the experienced entrepreneurs decided to open one of their own.
The Gallachis, natives of upstate New York, will soon launch Straight Outta Brooklyn Bagel & Delicatessen located at 106 Park Ave. Southwest.
“We’re hoping to open on April 19,” Joseph said. “I’ve always wanted to have a bagel business.”
They came up with the name because their bagels are par-baked, which means partially baked in New York City and then finished in Aiken. The couple owns cafes and restaurants in upstate New York, and he travels there every other week.
Straight Outta Brooklyn will serve not only various types of bagels but also breakfast and deli sandwiches. Whenever possible, their food will be homemade.
“We’ll have a lot of fresh-baked breads,” Joseph said. “We make our own sausages, which was my grandfather’s recipe.”
But diners won’t pay New York City prices for their menu items.
“We’re trying to offer a big city product at small city prices,” he said. “We try to keep prices as low as we can with this economy.”
They also plan to help the local community by donating 10 cents for every bagel they sell to non-profit organizations.
So far, the Gallachis have hired 13 employees for the Aiken shop and hope to expand by opening more locations in the future. Joseph shared a story about a young child who saw the sign for Straight Outta Brooklyn and asked, “What’s a bagel?”
“I’m looking forward to bringing good New York bagels down to Aiken,” he said.
For now, the eatery will be open Wednesday through Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., but they may adjust its weekend hours. For more information, visit sobbagel.com/.
