Scenes of
South Lake

New York bagels: Puffy, with their signature chew and barely-there holes. Montreal bagels: Smaller, sweeter, denser, with a loyal fan base north of the border. But what happens when you blend the two?

“Mont Royal Bagels brings the best of both bagel worlds together,” says Randy Grossman.

Of course, Randy might be a little biased.

“My mother was from a Montreal suburb that was a sort of hub for bagels,” he explains. “I used to ride the bus as a kid in the ’60s and see people lined up—old ladies in fur coats braving snowstorms—just to get these bagels. Montreal bagels were my world until I moved to the U.S.”

Randy discovered that bagels inspire fierce loyalties. “People are so passionate about their bagels. In Montreal, you’re either a Fairmont or St-Viateur person. And in New York, the debates can get just as heated. Needless to say, Montreal bagels were always my favorite. So much so that my wife Cheryl and I once toyed with the idea of opening a Montreal-style bagel shop back in the ’90s. We came close, but life—and the economy—got in the way.”

But the Grossmans’ story takes a turn that makes this more than a tale about bagel preferences.

“Yes,” Randy continues. “Life gifted us with two autistic boys who are at different places on the spectrum. When our youngest, Colin, graduated high school, he couldn’t find a job. The job market is tough enough, but for people with special needs, it’s even harder. Cheryl and I were terrified. We’d lie awake at night, worrying: What happens to Colin if we’re not here?”

Cheryl jumps in: “We used to joke that one of us had to live to 93, and then we’d argue about who it should be. But joking aside, we needed to find something Colin could do—something sustainable that would help him thrive.”

Then, one day, inspiration struck: the bagel idea.

Randy dove into bagel research with a renewed purpose. “We couldn’t replicate the wood-fired ovens of Montreal, but I still wanted that bold, slightly sweet, honey-water-boiled flavor. After about eight months of trial and error, we found our sweet spot: a Montreal-New York hybrid that’s all our own.”

Cheryl takes pride in their process. “We use a European convection oven, which gives the bagels a unique texture. Randy handles the dough, and I take care of flavoring and dressing them. We boil them in honey water and are always experimenting with new recipes. But our signature Mont Royal Bagel is consistent—distinct from anything else out there—and if we do say so, it’s pretty delicious.”

But for the Grossmans, the best part isn’t the taste; it’s the transformation they’ve seen in their son. “Colin is thriving,” Randy says. “He’s more confident, more outgoing. The business has been a game changer. Stop by our booth at the Clermont Farmer’s Market and say hi—he’ll happily talk your ear off.”

The Grossman family isn’t just about blending bagel traditions; it’s about creating something that truly rises to the occasion.