Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 7, 1993 TAG: 9312070291
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Its bagels were so popular that the Blacksburg eatery ran out of stock and had to lock the doors before noon Sunday.
``We thought we were adequately prepared,'' said Linda Keciorius who owns the restaurant with her husband, Pete. ``It's going to take a while to work the kinks out.''
Linda Keciorius said the new restaurant was swamped with customers and sold more than 1,200 bagels over the weekend. The most popular? Sesame seed, barely edging out the traditional plain bagel.
The deli features New York bagels - literally.
The bagels are made in New York, frozen, then shipped to Blacksburg.
``Then we bake them all day long,'' Keciorius said.
The Blacksburg couple decided to open the bagel shop after they were unable to find a tenant to fill the 469-square-foot space beside the other restaurant they own - PK's.
``We tried to rent it, but nobody wanted it,'' she said. ``We looked around and decided bagels might work.''
The shop opened for a trial run during the week Virginia Tech students were on Thanksgiving break. Keciorius monitored how many bagels were eaten daily and then doubled her ordered for last weekend.
It wasn't nearly enough.
The deli ran out of bagels around 10:15 a.m. Sunday and would-be customers were greeted by a sign on the door informing them of the predicament.
Keciorius said about half of the bagel buyers appeared to be students and the rest seemed to be permanent town citizens.
Bagel speciality shops are popping up all over the country and Keciorius said she expects to see some competition in town soon.
``We may be the first, but I'm sure we won't be the last,'' she said.
by CNB