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Viral West Village Bagel Shop Faces Eviction Due to Its Popularity

Umito November 21, 2024

WESTERN VILLAGE (WABC) — A West Village bagel shop has become so successful it could be evicted.

The owner of the building housing Apollo Bagels says the lines at the store are so long they’re blocking the doors of neighboring tenants.

Since opening in August at Greenwich and West 11th Street, Apollo has gained a loyal following, named the best bagelry by the New York Times and Yelp, and gone viral across social media platforms.

Eyewitness News met a young customer outside the restaurant who had come from Miami to try the bagels.

“It’s really, really good. I love TikTok, I’m obsessed with TikTok so I’ll probably post it on TikTok,” she said.

Queues of customers often block entrances to nearby stores, prompting complaints.

The landlord threatened to cancel Apollo’s lease unless the store rerouted lines by November 30.

Despite efforts to manage the lines, including ropes, signs and a dedicated line monitor, the owner insists that the line be moved to the narrower West 11th Street, which Apollo says makes the situation worse by obstructing residential buildings and other businesses. Apollo is now suing in Manhattan Supreme Court to stop the eviction.

An attorney for the bagel shop issued a statement saying Apollo had already taken steps to manage the lines and insisted they did not interfere with neighboring businesses.

The statement went on to say that merchants were surprised by the landlord’s aggressiveness because “most landlords want to see their tenants succeed.”

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