by Maya Guimaraes
In a place where you can eat pizza, Chinese, Sushi, Indian, Thai, Italian, and other foods from all around the globe, how about going for a bagel? Escaping an overwhelming range of options might be what gets Steve’s Bagel shop packed everyday.
Open for over 17 years the bagel store is part of the story of the Brooklyn neighborhood, Bay Ridge. The place has survived economic downs, growing competition, and neighborhood diversity. How? “This is a family business, but more importantly It’s my business. If I am doing well, the store does well, but if I am not, then it is in trouble,” said owner Steve Natale
Natale’s belief that the quality of his business depends on himself comes from his personal experience while running the bagel shop alone for all this years. Soon after being invited by the owners of another bagel shop to be a partner, Steve was able to buy his own store and be in charge. “I need to invest all my time here. I need to make sure people feel welcomed, that people will find what they are looking for, and that people will come back. If I don’t do my job, I lose my customers. It is as simple as that,” said Natale
Steve’s Bagels are baked daily by himself. When he was only 17 year-old, he started baking goods with his family and he hasn’t stop since. “We have multigrain egg bagel, fresh baked muffins, double-sided seed bagel, croissants and cold salads. We make everything here,” explained Natale
Natale’s recipe? Undisclosed. “We make everything here. I stated baking when I was 11 year-old. In the morning we do everything fresh for the day. My bagels are the best, and my recipe is a secret.”
The bagel shop stays open seven days a week, from five a.m. to eight p.m. and throughout the day it serves many different people that come in and out of the Bay Ridge subway station, which is right next to the Bagel shop.
While the location has helped the small business survive, it also means that he has to face bigger competition because businesses around the subway area are targeting the same customers as him. “These days everybody serves coffee. Even McDonalds serves breakfast. When I first opened my only competition was the Diners. Now almost everyone on this block is fair competition,” said Natale
The secret of the success, or the endurance, of Steve’s Bagel Shop might be the delicious food. Damon Moses, from New Heaven, Connecticut said he only eats at Steve’s Bagels. “The food is fresh and they cook it the way you want it, when you want it. Most of the guys I work with come here. It’s the best food place in the area,” he said.
The struggles to keep the bagel shop open have been hard, but Natale seems to be able to keep things going. “This is my only source of income. It’s my only job and I am here every day, so I work hard to keep things all right. The cost of the food is high. But I rarely raise my prices. I give more than two eggs on a sandwich, and I give a cup of coffee for free. I am not saying I have cheap products. Nothing here is cheap. My coffee is great, and my cold cuts are the best quality. But unfortunately the only thing some people care is the price of things. So it gets hard.”
Although he says money is not the priority, “I make people’s day because I am in it for the people. I love the people.” Natale things that there is much more he can do to make his store better. “I need to get everybody in this neighborhood inside this store. I do get most people, but not everybody. I should be printing menus, doing catering and more deliveries. I also need to be more diligent about what goes on here.”
The “mama and papa” shop, like Natale calls it, is one of the favorite spots of many seniors in the neighborhood. The little chairs outside the doors invite people to sit down and socialize. The fast-speed service and easy access location also help. “ My dad is crazy, but people love this place,” adds Daryl Natale’s daughter.
“This business starts and ends with me. Everything about this business is me, like any leadership policy. It’s all about the leader, and I know I need to work harder to grow, but right now I am fine with the size of things. Like I said, I’m in it for the people.”