THB Bagelry & Deli has come a long way in its 25 year-run. With the help of the Scotto family, the original shop for hangover breakfast sandwiches and coffee in Towson has grown into one of Baltimore’s most recognizable cafe chains, with seven locations scattered everywhere from Canton to Columbia.
The menu—nowadays accessed most via self-serve kiosk and online app ordering—has expanded to include packed sandwiches, wraps, and omelets, as well as rotating specialty bagels that flex the brand’s civic pride. (The multi-colored Maryland Day bagels, purple Ravens bagels, and purple-and-teal bagels that recently acted as a fundraiser for the Maryland chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention are all among standout examples.)
“We’ve done a lot of work over the years,” says president and CEO Tony Scotto. “We created the brand. We’ve expanded. We’ve updated the menu from time to time.”
Still, some things never change—like the crisp, doughy texture of the boiled-and-baked daily bagels and the business’ family-run ethos. When Scotto and his cousins moved to Baltimore from Naples, Italy, they never imagined they would one day take over the cozy bagel shop that had been operating next door to their family’s Italian restaurant off of the Towson Circle since 1999. But eventually, they did. In 2008, Scotto—along with his brother, sister, cousin, and father—officially took over the original THB.
“It started out as a joke,” he remembers. “THB was small at the time, but very popular. Because they didn’t have much space, some of their customers would sit at our tables next door, so we joked that we should become partners. And then at some point, as we got to know the owners more, it stopped being a joke. We realized there was great potential there.”
An Italian family getting into the bagel business might seem unusual to some, but Scotto says the owners’ love of family, food, and their Southern Italian heritage made it an ideal fit.
“THB reminds us of our grandfather’s deli in Italy,” he says. “Bagel shops share a lot of similarities with Italian delis, like the sliced meat and vegetables and the freshly made bagels and bread. So, this feels a lot like home.”
In honor of the eatery’s 25th anniversary, we recently caught up with Scotto to ask about changing carb trends, his go-to order, and what comes next.
After 25 years in business, how have you observed Baltimore’s taste in bagels changing over time?
People have become more and more open to new tastes from different cultures. It’s allowed us to explore new flavors, like a za’atar bagel that’s influenced by Middle Eastern food. For this 25th anniversary, we’re trying out a calendar of bagel flavors, seeing what people like and respond to. We hope with the growing openness of our customers, we can keep adding interesting new bagels to our menu.
THB’s menu is constantly being updated with seasonal specials, like the pumpkin spice bagels, pink bagels for breast cancer awareness, and rainbow bagels to celebrate Pride. What are some flavors that stand out to you when you look back?
Well, I have a few. The Maryland Day bagel is one of my favorites. It’s great to see the pride people have for our state flag. I also love the za’atar bagel, especially with my turkey sandwich and the asiago bagel with our tuna salad.
What’s your ultimate go-to order?
It depends on the time of the day or what I’m in the mood for. After a weekend out—which is a little less common for me these days—an egg, ham, and cheese on an everything bagel is the perfect cure. But the one I probably eat the most is the bacon, egg, and cheese. That’s our biggest seller. Just last year, we sold over half a million!
Toasted or untoasted?
For almost all of my bagels, I get them untoasted, so the freshness of the bagel shines. That’s how they do it in New York City—almost no one toasts their bagels there.
You’re in the midst of renovating the Towson flagship. What’s the significance of that project overlapping with the 25th anniversary?
The renovation represents our commitment to Towson. This is the end of a four-year renovation process that started with our other locations and is ending with Towson. We’ve updated the store a few times in the past, and each time we do, we’re demonstrating our commitment to staying here and investing in this community. I mean, Towson is in our name. This community is our family, and that’s also reflected in the new design of the store. We’ve installed a beautiful mural with the Italian and Maryland flags. The local artist [Cindy Fletcher-Holden] really did a wonderful job.
What are your plans and hopes for the future?
We’re looking at different opportunities. We love collaborations with local chefs. Last year, we did a collab with Chad Gauss from The Food Market, which was a PB&J with bacon on an everything bagel—his favorite sandwich. We’ve collaborated with brands like McCormick, and we always try to support local charities like American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Lifebridge Health for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Casey Cares Foundation.
In terms of bigger plans, we just bought a new commissary kitchen, which will allow us to go from producing 3,000 bagels to 12,000 bagels per hour—a big step up. We’re hoping to increase our wholesale and franchise business to keep growing in the communities around us. And with that growth, we can provide a better quality of life for our business partners and employees. When you work in the restaurant industry, it’s a big deal if you can be home by 5 p.m. and still have dinner with your family.
Why is Baltimore specifically a great home for THB?
Culturally, Baltimore is very diverse. People are always open to new flavors, which we love to experiment with. From a business standpoint, the city is well connected in the northeast. Being in the center of two big markets, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, definitely makes it easier to grow. But on a more personal note, Baltimore reminds me a lot of the small Italian town I’m from, near Naples. Both places are by the water and have a big seafood culture, so that emotional and cultural connection always makes me glad that we landed here and not somewhere else.