Page 57 - BWM Dec 2012

December 2012 | Business World Magazine | 57
Big Apple Bagels is an American
franchise chain of bakery-cafes
based in Deerfield, Illinois. Over
their 20-year history, Big Apple Bagels has
grown into a nationwide franchisor of a res-
taurant concept with complementary prod-
ucts, a reasonable investment level and an in-
herent competitive advantage as a
low-cost producer in their
industry.
Big Apple
Bagels opened
in 1992 af-
ter CEO
Michael Evans felt it was time to produce
something on a larger scale in the bagel busi-
ness, particularly outside of New York. He
opened the first franchise in 1993. In 1996,
he bought the New Jersey-based company
My Favorite Muffin. This purchase allowed
them to add additional products to their
brand, and it also gave them the opportuni-
ty to continue to franchise the My Favorite
Muffin brand in select markets.
In the same year, the company alsobought
the Brewster’s Coffee brand, and proceeded
to incorporate it into their existing brands.
“We have Big Apple Bagels and My Favorite
Muffin that we franchise and both feature
our Brewster’s Coffee,” says Director of De-
velopment Anthony Cervini.
Cervini joined the company in October
1993, having previously known Evans
from other companies. He was look-
ing for a concept he felt had good