“We like to say that we’re a great good place,” says Sam Jones, the charismatic co-owner of Goodies bagel shop in Catskill. “We wanted to be able to bring something that everyone would love. We’re so divided in this world. I know it sounds corny, but people can all agree on bagels.” Since September, this little storefront has been serving classic kettle-boiled bagels, sandwiches, and other deli-style goods for Greene County locals and 9W through-travelers. Jones and her six friends, all co-owners of the shop, want to create an atmosphere that is welcoming to every bagel fan. “When you come into the store, bring your full self,” says Jones. “We want you to have a bagel and have a Goodies day.”
Friends Turned Business Partners
While Goodies opened only two months ago, the seven friends behind it have been coming to the area for five years, ever since Tim Unich, one of the co-owners, purchased a farmhouse in Saugerties. When the pandemic hit, the group started visiting more often, sick of tight quarters and isolation of their New York City apartments.
As the pandemic dragged on, the idea of relocating to the area full-time began taking shape, but there was one problem: the group couldn’t find a bagel shop that met their expectations. “While we were up there, playing Uno, we just started falling in love little by little with upstate New York,” Jones says. “The one thing that came up was, ‘I would never be able to live here. There’s no kettle-boiled bagels here, how would we survive?’ The conversation turned into, ‘maybe we all move up here and we open something up,’ and that’s exactly what happened.”
Initially, the friends drafted plans for Goodies to be a diner. Four out of the seven partners relocated to the area, including Jones, who handles the business’s branding while continuing to work as the creative director for ViacomCBS and Comedy Central. They settled on their Catskill location because of the town’s positive energy. “There’s just a cool vibe, and we felt like we would fit in,” says Jones.
During the early stages of planning, they stumbled upon Kinderhook’s Broad Street Bagels, which specializes in creating Brooklyn’s signature kettle-boiled bagels, and loved the product. After speaking with the owner, Jones and her friends decided to make Goodies a bagel joint, using bagels made by Broad Street.
Quality Ingredients for Classic Sandwiches
Beyond the bagels, which are delivered fresh from Broad Street each morning, everything else that Goodies serves is made onsite. As many local ingredients are used as possible. The bacon used in their egg sandwiches is sourced from Hudson, and the chicken used in “The Honey Dip” and “The Spring Chicken” sandwiches is free range and organic. “That was really important to us because what we would put in our own bodies we would want the community to be putting in theirs,” says Jones.
The resulting menu, developed by Victor Malaric, co-owner and executive chef, consists of classic deli offerings and a smattering of signature sandwiches. Everything’s served on a bagel, of course. The “Oy Vey All The Way” puts a light spin on the traditional lox and cream cheese breakfast classic with pickled red onions to give it a tang. “We’re adding little touches that elevate the taste,” says Jones. Breakfast sandwiches are the shop’s most popular, including the “Bagel Don Dada,” made with eggs, American cheese, and bacon on the customer’s choice of bagel.
The bagels are the stars of the show–there are seven varieties ranging from plain to pumpernickel, plus a gluten-free option. Plain and flavored cream cheeses, along with a vegan spread, are available. In addition, two types of hamburgers–a plain “Goodies Burger” and a “West Bridge Cheeseburger,” are served, along with fries and a house coleslaw.
Providing Community Comfort
Goodies’ food and commitment to their customers are what Jones believes sets the eatery apart. “We just treat people the way that we want to be treated, and feed people the way that we want to be fed,” says Jones. “Goodies is like that friend that you want to hang out with, who’s going to have your back at 3 in the morning if something happens and you’re sick, or if there’s a breakup. It’s also that friend who rallies if you’re having a bad day.”
Since the opening, the community has embraced the shop. Bagels have sold out multiple times, and conversations are starting about future locations. “The response is overwhelming,” says Jones. “There’s people arguing online from Leeds, Athens, and Coxsackie about where the next Goodies should be open.” While Jones and the rest of the team do have dreams to expand, they’re focused on ensuring the community’s satisfaction. “We want to really get the community involved and excited about Goodies,” says Jones. “They are just as much a part of Goodies as we are.”
Goodies is open Monday-Friday from 6am-3pm, and Saturday-Sunday from 7am-3pm.
Goodies
261 W. Bridge Street, Catskill
(518) 719-0411
hi@goodiescatskill.com
