New Ronnie's Bagels Owners Promise Better Service, Prices

Big changes are in the works at a once-popular local bagel place.

Ronnie's Hot Bagels, located at 118 Broadway in Hillsdale, recently reopened with new owners who have a number of changes planned for the shop, including lower prices — they've already lowered them, but the changes aren't final — better quality food made fresh on location and better service, according to Anthony Minuto, one of the new owners.

"We want to improve it," Minuto said. "We're happy to have the opportunity to build it up and see it grow."

Minuto and his family have experience running a small chain of successful bagel shops around the area under the "Binghamton Bagel" brand, named after the former ferry that carried passengers from Edgewater, where their first store is located, to New York.

The Hillsdale store and another in Norwood, which the Minuto family is also now running, were opened by Ronald Eric Manus, the namesake of Ronnie's. Both shops were popular up until Manus' death in 2010, according to his brother, Kenneth. Awards won by the shop over the years still line one of the walls.

"He was successful in establishing Ronnie's as a brand name in bagels," Kenneth Manus said.

After Ronnie died, Kenneth briefly ran the shops, but ended up finding another local restaurateur who he hoped would be able to run the shops for the Manus estate.

They ended up making some unpopular changes, Manus said. Online reviews tell a similar story.

"They mismanaged the stores," Manus said.

Minuto said he had heard many of the complaints, but believed they would be able to restore Ronnie's to its former popularity. They have been running the store for a week, and there is already a noticable increase in the number of customers, he said.

"You can go anywhere for a bagel with cream cheese," Minuto said. "When I walk into a bagel store, I want it to feel comfortable, like home. We want to improve the business."

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