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UPDATE: This story was updated at 1:45 p.m. on August 11, 2024.

Schoolyard Bagels, the Marshall Street bagel shop that opened its doors in February, has permanently ended operations, WSYR-TV first reported Friday.

The shop, located on the corner of Marshall St. and University Ave., operated out of the location until Aug. 7 — when it finalized a sale of the property to another eatery. Ithaca-based Collegetown Bagels will open a new location at the former Schoolyard Bagels shop, one of its co-owners, Ramsey Brous, confirmed in a statement sent to The Daily Orange Sunday.

“We are extremely excited to enter the Syracuse market having been operating Collegetown Bagels in Ithaca for over forty years,” Brous wrote. “While it is never a pleasure to see a business leave, the Schoolyard Bagel folks did a great job setting up the shop in a great location and we believe that our entry is a win for everyone concerned.”

Schoolyard Bagels encountered numerous operational challenges since its arrival in Syracuse. These include problems with its ovens and point-of-sale system, which led to a delayed opening by several weeks, and unexpectedly high customer demand, resulting in longer than anticipated wait times.

Two days after its Feb. 8 opening, the bagel shop — which sought to bring Brooklyn-style “handmade bagels and homemade Italian food” to Syracuse — announced in a now-deleted Instagram post that it would take a “short pause” and close its doors, citing a lack of preparedness and a need to “refine” its operations.

Schoolyard Bagels then reopened on Feb. 25 with significantly decreased operating hours. The bagel shop did not immediately respond to The Daily Orange’s request for comment.

Gregar Brous, the other current owner of Collegetown Bagels, told WSYR-TV that he hopes to have his new location prepared for opening around the beginning of the fall 2024 semester. His shop, which has several stores throughout Ithaca, serves bagel varieties along with multiple breakfast and lunch options.

The Brous’ have considered establishing a Marshall Street location since 1980 due to personal ties to the city and Syracuse University, according to Sunday’s statement. Though Collegetown Bagels has operated exclusively in Ithaca since 1976, Gregor Brous told WSYR-TV the family-owned shop may expand throughout the Syracuse area if the Marshall Street location is successful.

He also said the new location will add “Syracuse flavor” to its menu and branding, such as including a new freshly-squeezed orange juice machine.

Collegetown Bagels has not publicly set an official opening date for the new Syracuse location.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that Schoolyard Bagels is located at the corner of Marshall Street and Waverly Avenue. It is located at the corner of Marshall Street and University Avenue. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on August 11, 2024 at 12:42 am

Contact Julia: jmboehni@syr.edu