Bruegger’s Bagels , with 300 locations across the U.S., will celebrate National Bagel Day by offering three free bagels to its guests.
Along with National Bagel Day (celebrated nationally on February 9), the month also marks Bruegger’s anniversary. In February 1983, it opened its first bakery in Troy, New York, offering fresh–baked bagels all day. To bring attention to the month – and delicious, fresh–baked bagels – Bruegger’s asked more than 150,000 bagel fans, through email and Facebook, to name their favorite bagel combinations and where they like to eat the perfect, fresh–from–the–oven delight. Bagel fans clamored to offer their opinion (and get a coupon!) –– nearly 40,000 bagel–lovers responded to the survey and Bruegger’s Facebook page added thousands of fans. Survey results are below.
In the category of favorite bagel flavor, for the second year in a row, the Everything bagel was the winner edging out the Asiago Parmesan bagel by a slight margin.
The stats:
Everything Bagel: 36.3 percent of respondents chose this flavor as their favorite.
Asiago Parmesan: 35.6 percent like it cheesy.
Cinnamon–Raisin: 23.5 percent of respondents like it fruity.
Cinnamon–Sugar: 21.7 percent like it sweet.
Plain: 20.9 percent of respondents are purists.
Sesame: 19.9 percent of respondents liked bagels on the seedy side.
In the category of favorite bagel topping, the winners are:
Plain cream cheese: 24.6 percent like it plain.
Light cream cheese: 18.9 percent keep it light.
Honey walnut cream cheese: 16.4 percent were nutty for honey walnut.
Butter: 15.5 percent want to ’stick’ to the basics.
Garden Veggie: 12.8 percent like to eat their veggies.
This year, Bruegger’s also asked its guests where they most enjoy their treats. The round up:
Back at the office: 31.8 percent
At home: 21.3 percent
At Bruegger’s, with family or friends: 13.8 percent and 12.9 percent, respectively.
In the car, during my commute: 11.9 percent
Taking advantage of the free Wi–Fi at Bruegger’s: 8.3 percent
“Today, Bruegger’s offers many delicious breakfast and lunch options,” said James Greco, Bruegger’s CEO. “But we still take pride in making fresh–baked bagels all day, every day, and are pleased to share the centuries–old, time–tested tradition with our guests.”
In 2010, Bruegger’s sold 89 million bagels. Topping all those bagels was more than 2.6 million pounds of cream cheese. Nationally, Americans eat an estimated 3 billion bagels annually, an average of about 11 per person, according to the New York Times. Bruegger’s is also credited with creating the world’s largest bagel on August 27, 2004. The oversized bagel weighed in at 868 pounds and required 1,100 pounds of dough, 900 gallons of water and a bake time of 10 hours.
About Bruegger’s Enterprises, Inc.
Bruegger’s Enterprises, Inc., an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc., is a leader in the fast casual restaurant segment. In 300 locations in 26 states, the District of Columbia and Toronto, Bruegger’s is famous for genuine New York–style bagels baked fresh throughout the day. Guests can also chose a variety of menu items that include unique cream cheese flavors, breakfast sandwiches, hand–tossed salads, hearty soups, sandwiches, panini and desserts, with a frequently changing menu reflecting seasonal and geographical specialties. Founded in 1983, Bruegger’s is headquartered in Burlington, Vermont and supports its neighbors in every community it serves. For more information, please visit www.brueggers.com or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/brueggers.
