Bagels are made all over the country, but Long Islanders insist the best ones are made right here, and one Franklin Square business has been proving that for decades.
A&S Bagels is a family-owned operation that has been handcrafting bagels since 1986 and shipping them nationwide.
Owner Antonino Scolieri says consistency has been the secret ingredient to success. “If you want a good product, you got to be here seven days a week,” he said. “We never changed -- we use the number one ingredient we can buy, and we do it with love and care.”
The 6,000-square-foot facility runs 24 hours a day, producing hundreds of bagels for the front counter and thousands more for distributors, including supermarkets, schools, delis and coffee shops across the country. The bakery goes through about 100,000 pounds of flour each week -- sticking to the same old-fashioned methods the family started with nearly four decades ago.
For Scolieri’s daughter, Nancy, the business represents more than bagels. “My father had started with just a dream, and it has grown… he’s had it for 37 years, so to me that’s really important,” she said.