Big Apple Bagels
American franchised bakery-cafe chain specializing in bagels, coffee, muffins, and casual breakfast and lunch foods.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Big Apple Bagels is an American franchised bakery-cafe brand based in Deerfield, Illinois. Founded in 1985 by Paul Stolzer, the chain developed around bagels, coffee, breakfast foods, and other bakery-cafe items rather than operating as a narrowly focused bagel retailer. Its menu has included bagels, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, deli-style sandwiches, soups, salads, smoothies, coffee, frozen yogurt, pizza, and related bakery products. The business model is primarily franchise-based, with additional licensed locations. The brand operates within a broader portfolio managed by BAB, Inc. That portfolio has included Big Apple Bagels, Brewster's Coffee, and My Favorite Muffin. BAB, Inc. expanded its platform during the 1990s through a series of acquisitions, including Brewster's Coffee, Strathmore Bagels, Bagels Unlimited Inc., Danville Bagels, My Favorite Muffin, and Jacobs Bros. Bagels. These transactions broadened the company's reach beyond a single bagel concept and gave it additional coffee, muffin, and bakery formats. In 2012, the company developed SweetDuet Frozen Yogurt & Gourmet Muffin, a concept intended to combine self-service frozen yogurt with My Favorite Muffin products. Big Apple Bagels is positioned as a convenient, casual bakery-cafe for breakfast, coffee occasions, snacks, and light meals. Its format combines freshly prepared bakery items with beverages and made-to-order food, allowing franchisees to serve several dayparts. The brand's product architecture also reflects its corporate portfolio: coffee may be associated with Brewster's Coffee, while muffins and related bakery products may be offered through My Favorite Muffin alongside the Big Apple Bagels menu. BAB, Inc. completed an initial public offering on November 27, 1995. Reference material identifies the parent company as having 76 franchised stores and four licensed stores, although the applicable reporting date for that store count is not specified. Big Apple Bagels has also received franchise-industry recognition, including appearances in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 and Best of the Best rankings, a GI Jobs military-friendly franchise designation, and Restaurant Business Magazine's Top Future 50 franchise recognition. Since 2010, BAB, Inc. has participated in fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis Foundations. The available reference material does not establish a current store count, current executive roster, official website, or detailed recent operating strategy.
History
Big Apple Bagels was established in 1985 by Paul Stolzer as an American bagel and bakery-cafe business. From its early identity as a bagel-centered restaurant concept, the company developed a broader menu and a franchise-oriented operating model. In addition to bagels, its food offering has included coffee, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, sandwiches, soups, salads, smoothies, frozen yogurt, pizza, and other bakery products. This range enabled locations to serve breakfast, coffee, snack, and light-lunch occasions. The corporate structure behind the brand is BAB, Inc., which was formed to operate and franchise Big Apple Bagels locations. BAB, Inc. completed an initial public offering on November 27, 1995. During the second half of the 1990s, the company pursued expansion through acquisitions. In 1996 it acquired Brewster's Coffee, Strathmore Bagels, Bagels Unlimited Inc., and Danville Bagels. These additions increased the company's exposure to coffee, bagels, and related bakery formats. In 1997 it acquired My Favorite Muffin, adding a distinct muffin-focused concept, and in 1999 it acquired Jacobs Bros. Bagels. The acquisitions created a multi-brand platform rather than a single-concept chain. The portfolio has been described as comprising Big Apple Bagels, Brewster's Coffee, and My Favorite Muffin, with the brands allowing the company to address overlapping but distinct bakery-cafe occasions. Big Apple Bagels remained the principal bagel and cafe identity, while Brewster's Coffee provided a coffee-oriented brand and My Favorite Muffin extended the portfolio into gourmet muffins and bakery products. In 2003, Big Apple Bagels received recognition in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500. Entrepreneur later included the company in its 2005 Best of the Best Top Franchises coverage. In 2010, GI Jobs recognized it as a military-friendly franchise. The same year, BAB, Inc. began fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis Foundations, establishing a charitable activity associated with the parent company. Restaurant Business Magazine included the franchise system in its 2011 Top Future 50 franchise recognition. In 2012, BAB, Inc. developed SweetDuet Frozen Yogurt & Gourmet Muffin. The concept was designed to combine self-service frozen yogurt with My Favorite Muffin products, showing the company's continued interest in extending its bakery platform into adjacent dessert and snack categories. Reference material identifies BAB, Inc. as having 76 franchised stores and four licensed stores, but does not specify the date of that store count. The available material therefore supports describing Big Apple Bagels as an active, franchise-led American bakery-cafe brand, while leaving current scale, leadership, financial performance, and exact present-day footprint unconfirmed. No current official website or detailed current executive list is established in the supplied sources.
- 2012
SweetDuet concept is developed
[1]BAB, Inc. develops SweetDuet Frozen Yogurt & Gourmet Muffin, combining self-service frozen yogurt with gourmet muffins.
- 1999
Jacobs Bros. Bagels is acquired
[1]BAB, Inc. expands its bagel portfolio through the acquisition of Jacobs Bros. Bagels.
- 1997
My Favorite Muffin joins the portfolio
[1]BAB, Inc. acquires My Favorite Muffin, adding a muffin-focused bakery concept.
- 1996
Portfolio expansion through four acquisitions
[1]BAB, Inc. acquires Brewster's Coffee, Strathmore Bagels, Bagels Unlimited Inc., and Danville Bagels.
- 1995
BAB, Inc. completes its initial public offering
[1]The parent company completes an initial public offering on November 27, 1995.
- 1985
Big Apple Bagels is founded
[1]Paul Stolzer starts Big Apple Bagels in the United States.
Products and positioning
Casual bakery-cafe and franchised quick-service food concept serving bagels, coffee, breakfast items, bakery products, and light meals.
Bagel bakery-cafe · 1985
Big Apple Bagels
The core brand offers bagels alongside coffee, breakfast sandwiches, sandwiches, soups, salads, smoothies, bakery products, frozen yogurt, pizza, and other casual food items. Its broad menu supports multiple dayparts, with a particular emphasis on breakfast, coffee, and convenient bakery-cafe meals.
Coffee and bakery-cafe concept
Brewster's Coffee
Brewster's Coffee is a coffee-oriented brand associated with BAB, Inc.'s multi-concept portfolio. It was acquired in 1996 and complemented the bagel and bakery operations with a more beverage-led identity.
Muffin and bakery concept
My Favorite Muffin
My Favorite Muffin is a muffin-focused bakery concept acquired by BAB, Inc. in 1997. It expanded the company's product range into gourmet muffins and related bakery offerings and later supplied the muffin component of the SweetDuet concept.
Frozen dessert and bakery concept · 2012
SweetDuet Frozen Yogurt & Gourmet Muffin
SweetDuet was developed in 2012 as a concept pairing self-service frozen yogurt with My Favorite Muffin gourmet muffins. It represented an extension of BAB, Inc.'s bakery platform into frozen desserts and snack-oriented foodservice.
Marketing campaigns
- 2010Cystic Fibrosis Foundations fundraising
United States
BAB, Inc. began fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis Foundations in 2010. The activity is associated with the parent company and its restaurant-brand network.
Brand decisions
2012
Develop SweetDuet Frozen Yogurt & Gourmet MuffinProduct launchBackground
BAB, Inc. explored an adjacent dessert and snack format using products from its existing portfolio.
Action taken
The company developed a concept combining self-service frozen yogurt with My Favorite Muffin gourmet muffins.
Aftermath
SweetDuet broadened the company's concept portfolio beyond traditional bagel and coffee shops.
1999
Acquire Jacobs Bros. BagelsM&ABackground
BAB, Inc. continued its acquisition-led expansion in the bagel and bakery segment.
Action taken
The company acquired Jacobs Bros. Bagels.
Aftermath
The acquisition further increased the breadth of the company's bagel portfolio.
1997
Acquire My Favorite MuffinM&ABackground
BAB, Inc. continued building a multi-brand bakery platform.
Action taken
The company acquired My Favorite Muffin.
Aftermath
The transaction added a muffin-centered concept and later supported the development of SweetDuet.
1996
Acquire four coffee and bagel businessesM&ABackground
BAB, Inc. sought to broaden its franchised bakery-cafe platform beyond the core Big Apple Bagels concept.
Action taken
The company acquired Brewster's Coffee, Strathmore Bagels, Bagels Unlimited Inc., and Danville Bagels.
Aftermath
The acquisitions expanded the company's exposure to coffee and multiple bagel-focused formats.
Recent events
- 2012
BAB, Inc. develops SweetDuet Frozen Yogurt & Gourmet Muffin[1]
Product launch
The company created SweetDuet as a concept combining self-service frozen yogurt with My Favorite Muffin gourmet muffins.
- 2011
Big Apple Bagels appears in Restaurant Business Magazine's Top Future 50[1]
Other
Restaurant Business Magazine included the franchise system in its Top Future 50 franchise recognition.
- 2010
Big Apple Bagels recognized as a military-friendly franchise[1]
Other · Campaign
GI Jobs identified the franchise as military friendly. The parent company also began fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis Foundations in 2010.
- 2005
Big Apple Bagels named among Entrepreneur's best franchises[1]
Other
Entrepreneur Magazine recognized the company in its Best of the Best Top Franchises coverage.
- 2003
Big Apple Bagels receives franchise-industry recognition[1]
Other
Entrepreneur Magazine included the franchise system in its Franchise 500 recognition.
- 1999
BAB, Inc. acquires Jacobs Bros. Bagels[1]
M&A
BAB, Inc. continued its portfolio expansion by acquiring Jacobs Bros. Bagels.
- 1997
BAB, Inc. acquires My Favorite Muffin[1]
M&A
The acquisition added the My Favorite Muffin concept to BAB, Inc.'s portfolio of franchised bakery and cafe brands.
- 1996
BAB, Inc. expands through coffee and bagel acquisitions[1]
M&A
BAB, Inc. acquired Brewster's Coffee, Strathmore Bagels, Bagels Unlimited Inc., and Danville Bagels, broadening its bakery-cafe and beverage portfolio.
- 1995
BAB, Inc. completes initial public offering[1]
Other
The parent company of Big Apple Bagels completed its initial public offering on November 27, 1995.
Sources1 sources
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