Bagel Barrel To Throw Block Party In Doylestown For Retiring Owner
DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — Employees, friends, and customers of the Bagel Barrel will be shutting down East State Street in celebration of a Doylestown bagel-making legend.
During a public block party on Wednesday, Oct. 2 the community is invited to celebrate the retirement of longtime Bagel Barrel owner Patrick Murphy. Murphy will be hanging up his apron later this year after 31 years of operating the East State Street business, which boasts some of the best bagels in the region.
A one-block stretch of East State will shut down at noon and will remain closed for about two hours for the event, according to Bagel Barrel manager Jason Gawronski who is organizing the celebration.
"I'm telling everyone to be there around noon," said Gawronski. "Giovanni's on State is donating pizzas. Pat is bringing plenty of beer and the Penn Taproom is helping with that. My friend Dan is coming with his DJ equipment. We'll have some speeches and proclamations from the mayor and State Rep. Tim Brennan.
"This is not just to thank him for his 31 years of bagel-making but for his service to this community," said Gawronski, who joined the Bagel Barrel team 17 years ago. "Through COVID, blizzards, hurricanes, and power outages, he was there with hot food, hot coffee, and power charging."
According to Gawronski, pending any alarms, the fire department and the police department will be represented at the event. And pizza, refreshments and, of course, bagels, will be available.
"Big thanks to the police and fire departments and the Borough for helping me give Pat an awesome retirement block party! Let’s fill the street!" he said.
Murphy announced in late summer that he had sold the business, but that it would continue operating with the same familiar faces at the helm and the same delicious bagels, said to be the best in Bucks County if not the region, on the menu.
"They are keeping everything the same. Same great bagels and the same great staff that you all know and love," he wrote. "It has been my pleasure to have served all of you for the past 31 years. My family is blessed to have been part of this great community. No other town is like Doylestown."
Gawronski said he expects Wednesday to be celebratory, but also bittersweet as staff and customers share their favorite memories of Pat.
"It’s an end but it's also the continuation of what he built here," said Gawronski. "We're going to continue his legacy. Nothing is going to change and we're going to keep the barrel rolling."
As a young man, Gawronski said Murphy took a chance and opened Doylestown's first real bagel shop 31 years ago. "What he didn't know at the time was that it would grow into a Doylestown institution," he said. "I'm just so proud of what he accomplished and to be a part of it."
Bagel Barrel To Throw Block Party In Doylestown For Retiring Owner originally appeared on the Doylestown Patch
