Bodo's Bagels
Bodo's Bagels or Bodo's, is the name of several restaurants located in Charlottesville, VA. Bodo's is a bakery and New York Sandwich Shop, specializing mostly in bagels. The restaurants have been a popular favorite among members of both the Charlottesville community and the University of Virginia since 1988.
History
In late 1986, Brian Fox bought a building on Emmet Street, a location that used to be a Roy Rogers for $423,100. On the roof of the building, Fox put up a banner that read "The bagels are coming." It wasn't until two years later in July 1988, that the restaurant finally opened. In 1990, Fox purchased a restaurant called Rax on Preston Avenue near downtown Charlottesville. This time, it took three years for Fox to open the location in 1993. In 1995, Fox rented a space on The Corner (UVA) that was formerly a Kinko's. The Bodo's Bagels at this location would not open until June 15, 2005, ten years later. The long-awaited Bodo's on the Corner became a running joke among University students and the Charlottesville commmunity. On numerous occasions there have been April Fool's jokes AbOUT the restaurant's opening, Halloween costumes parodying the restaurant, and boycotts. In 2006, at age 61, Fox called it quits and passed down ownership to his three general managers The buyers are John Kokola, who handles the Corner location; Scott Smith, who manages the Preston Avenue location and Connie Jenson, who manages the Emmet Street location. Brian Fox remains as a consultant to the three general managers and continues to own the real estate at the Preston and Emmet locations (while the Corner property is rented).
Locations
There are currently three Bodo's Bagels locations. The first, opened in 1988, is located on Emmet Street (US 29). The second store opened in 1991 on Preston Avenue. The third Bodo's restaurant is located on the ground of the University of Virginia, on The Corner.
Food
All three Bodo's Locations have identical menus, focusing heavily on bagels and bagel sandwiches. The bagels are made from scratch "in-house" every day, at each location. They follow a traditional all-natural recipe, with no fats or preservatives and only use unbleached, unbromated flours. The bagels served at Bodo's are all New York style, meaning they are broiled immediately before baking.
In addition to all these food items, Bodo's serves various drinks including its own coffee, known as "BoJoe." They brew their very own premium coffee, custom blended and roasted which they have since certified as Organic and Fair Trade certified.
Legacy
Since opening in 1988, Bodo's Bagels has become a Charlottesville institution. It is frequently cited as one of the best restaurants in the Charlottesville area by local magazines The Hook and The C-Ville. Also, due in part to the relative cheapness of the food, the restaurant has become widely popular among University of Virginia Students who compete daily to be the first customer and receive #1 ticket everyday at each location. There are currently no plans to expand, add new locations or franchise Bodo's Bagels.