Hot pastrami and corned beef, matzo ball soup, breakfast and lunch specials and, of course, some of the most famous bagels in the world. Goldberg’s Bagels is coming to Sag Harbor, it was announced earlier this week, and they’re coming remarkably soon.
After more than 13 years on Main Street, the Golden Pear Café closed last Thursday afternoon, October 31, café owner Keith Davis announced in a press release. The business lease and assets, he said, have been acquired by the East Hampton-based Goldberg’s, which has locations across the East End, on both the North and South forks.
“A favorite morning coffee clutch location for Leif Hope and numerous friends, the morning banter of local and national politics and local life in Sag Harbor echoed through the café so loud at times, that customers would take notice and at times join the conversation,” Mr. Davis said in the release. “The Golden Pear was a true local hangout, place of rest and fine hospitality and hip summer eatery, which will be missed.”
Mr. Davis said The Golden Pear Café & Catering Company would continue to operate its East Hampton, Bridgehampton and Southampton locations.
This will be the eighth Goldberg’s Famous Bagels location on the South Fork. Goldberg’s currently has delis in Montauk, Amagansett, East Hampton, Wainscott, Southampton and East Quogue. The company also has four North Fork branches including delis in Greenport, Mattituck, Jamesport and in Riverhead.
Paul Wayne, a Sag Harbor resident and an owner of the East Hampton, Montauk an Wainscott locations, is a part owner of the Sag Harbor branch as well, along with Dan Mitchell, another resident of Sag Harbor.
When reached on Tuesday, Mr. Wayne said the deli and bagel store should be ready to open sometime next week.
“We’re going to go light on any renovation, paint it up, change a couple items behind the counter, and by some time next week we hope to be open,” he said. “It’s built for a coffee shop already.”
Sag Harbor, Mr. Wayne acknowledged, already has a bagel store in the Bagel Buoy on Bay Street. But Goldberg’s, he pointed out, is more of a traditional deli than anything else that just so happens to be known for its bagels. He also believes there’s enough business to go around and hopes that both locations can thrive into the future.
“In East Hampton there’s another bagel store on North Main Street and we both co-exist,” he said. “We will have daily hot soups, daily hot specials. We’re going to be a great deli. Our corned beef, pastrami, matzo ball soup, we’ll have it all.”