What Big Apple Bagels does

Big Apple Bagels, operated by BAB Systems, Inc., is a privately held franchise restaurant chain founded in 1993 and headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. The company reaches individual consumers through independently owned and operated franchise storefronts across at least six U.S. regions: Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, West Coast, and Mid-Atlantic. Its core product portfolio centers on hand-made, fresh-baked bagels; gourmet muffins under the My Favorite Muffin brand; made-to-order breakfast and deli sandwiches; and small-batch coffee under the Brewster's Coffee sub-brand. The company also offers catering services — including breakfast boxes, coffee boxes, bakery platters, and boxed lunches — for events and gatherings, ordered 24 hours in advance through individual store locations.

The business model is franchise-driven. BAB Systems generates revenue from franchise fees and royalties, while individual franchise owners operate retail locations, set local pricing, and handle in-store sales and catering. Marketing is decentralized, with corporate social media presence on Facebook and Instagram supplemented by local franchisee-led community engagement (youth sports sponsorships, charitable contributions, and the Raise Dough Community Fundraising Program for non-profits). The company has a separate franchising website and lists compliance requirements for franchise offerings in multiple U.S. states and international markets, indicating an intent to support franchise development.

The technology stack is limited: standard restaurant point-of-sale systems and a proprietary mobile Rewards Program App (available on iOS) featuring digital stamp cards for bagels, muffins, coffee, and deli sandwiches, with location-specific offers, app-only deals, and online ordering links. No AI/ML capabilities, data platforms, APIs, or proprietary technology infrastructure are disclosed. The company has no disclosed revenue figures, no funding history, no M&A activity, no named executive team in the data set, and no patents or awards.

Name

Big Apple Bagels

Legal name

BAB Systems, Inc.

Website

https://bigapplebagels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Apple Bagels, founded in 1993, is a U.S. franchise restaurant chain specializing in fresh-baked bagels, gourmet muffins, breakfast and deli sandwiches, and Brewster's coffee, serving individual consumers through independently owned retail locations and catering services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bagel Restaurant Franchise

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Delis & Sandwich Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bakery Grab-and-Go (Pastries, Packaged Desserts, Takeaway Bread) (CRAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Bagel restaurant franchise
• Fresh bakery café
• Breakfast catering services
• Gourmet coffee and muffins
• Sandwich and bagels

Headquarters

HQ city

Deerfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Food Sales: In-store sales of freshly made bagels, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, deli sandwiches, and beverages to walk-in customers at independently owned franchise locations.
2. Catering Services: Catering orders including breakfast boxes, coffee boxes, bakery platters (mini muffins, bagel bites), and boxed lunches for events. Orders placed 24 hours in advance at individual store locations.
3. Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchise owners who pay for the right to operate Big Apple Bagels locations. The company maintains a separate franchising website and targets specific states and countries for franchise development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Big Apple Bagels is a national bagel restaurant franchise founded in 1993 and operated by BAB Systems, Inc. The chain sells freshly made bagels, muffins, breakfast and deli sandwiches, gourmet coffee, and house-made cream cheese through independently owned and operated franchise retail locations across the United States. In addition to in-store and take-out food service, the company offers catering for events (party platters, breakfast boxes, coffee boxes, boxed lunches) and a mobile Rewards Program App with digital stamp cards and app-only deals.

Product overview

Big Apple Bagels operates a national bagel restaurant franchise chain since 1993, offering a portfolio of fresh, baked-from-scratch products centered around bagels, muffins, sandwiches, and gourmet coffee. The core offering includes breakfast sandwiches, deli sandwiches, and specialty muffins under the My Favorite Muffin brand, complemented by Brewster's small-batch coffee. The company operates a proprietary mobile Rewards Program App enabling customer loyalty engagement. Catering services provide party platters and boxed meal options for events. All products are hand-made daily on-premises at independently owned franchise locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brewster's Coffee: Small batch, hand-roasted gourmet coffee. Brewster's is the freshest, most delicious coffee, using only the top 3% of Arabica beans from around the world.

Products and services

• Bagels Fresh, baked-from-scratch bagels available in various varieties, offered individually, by the dozen, or as part of combo packages with house-made cream cheese spreads, for retail walk-in customers and catering orders.
• Muffins Gourmet cake-like muffins under the My Favorite Muffin brand, prepared with soybean oil, available as Jumbo Muffins, Mini Muffins, or in Keepsake tins, for individual purchase or catering platters.
• Breakfast Sandwiches Made-to-order breakfast sandwiches featuring freshly baked bagels with ingredients such as eggs, cheese, bacon, ham, sausage, and specialty combinations, served to walk-in customers at franchise locations.
• Deli Sandwiches Made-to-order bagel sandwiches with proteins including turkey, roast beef, ham, chicken, and salami, customizable with various cheeses, vegetables, and sauces.
• Brewster's Coffee Small-batch, hand-roasted gourmet coffee featuring top 3% Arabica beans, including brewed coffee, espresso beverages, cold brew, specialty lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas served at franchise locations.
• House-Made Cream Cheese Fresh, in-house prepared cream cheese spreads available in varieties including Plain, Veggie, Scallion, Jalapeno, Strawberry, and specialty seasonal flavors, sold by the tub at retail.
• Catering Services Catering offerings including party platters with bagels, sandwiches, and cream cheese; breakfast boxes; coffee boxes; and boxed lunch options for events and gatherings, ordered directly through local franchise stores.
• Rewards Program App Mobile loyalty application enabling customers to earn and redeem rewards through multiple digital stamp cards for bagels, muffins, coffee, and deli sandwiches, with location-specific offers, exclusive app-only deals, and online ordering access.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Einstein Bros Bagels: Largest US bagel chain, now owned by JAB Holding Company, operating a national franchise and company-owned bakery-cafe model very similar to Big Apple Bagels' bagel-and-sandwich concept. Direct head-to-head competitor for breakfast daypart occasions and franchisee talent.
• Bruegger's Bagels: Northeast-focused bagel franchise chain offering bagels, sandwiches, and coffee in a similar bakery-cafe format. Closely comparable store-level menu mix, franchise system structure, and target customer (commuter breakfast occasion).
• Manhattan Bagel: East Coast bagel franchise chain serving hand-rolled bagels, deli sandwiches, and breakfast items in a format and price point almost identical to Big Apple Bagels. Direct competitor for franchisees and overlapping customer base.
• Noah's NY Bagels: West Coast bagel chain offering bagels, sandwiches, and coffee with a similar community-bakery positioning. Competes with Big Apple Bagels for the same breakfast/lunch daypart customers and franchise growth markets.

Broad incumbents

• Panera Bread: Largest US bakery-cafe chain owned by JAB Holding, with a substantially broader menu (soups, salads, sandwiches, bakery) and far larger digital/loyalty platform. Competes for the same morning and lunch customer occasions at scale, with materially greater marketing and technology investment.
• Dunkin': National coffee-and-breakfast chain with a far larger unit footprint and digital loyalty program. Competes directly with Big Apple Bagels for the on-the-go breakfast sandwich and coffee customer, particularly in suburban and commuter markets.
• Tim Hortons: Large North American coffee and baked goods QSR chain. Comparable franchise model and breakfast-daypart focus, with meaningfully greater brand awareness and digital ordering infrastructure.
• Au Bon Pain: Bakery-cafe chain serving soups, sandwiches, pastries, and coffee in a similar format. Operates a comparable menu architecture to Big Apple Bagels and competes for the same urban/suburban breakfast and lunch customer.
• Corner Bakery Cafe: National bakery-cafe franchise serving sandwiches, salads, and pastries with a similar casual-dining format. Direct comparable on store size, menu mix, and franchise-driven growth model.

Others

• Cinnabon: Global bakery franchise concept owned by Focus Brands. Not a direct competitor on product but a closely comparable franchise-system peer in terms of unit economics, franchisee profile, and corporate scale, useful for benchmarking franchise growth potential.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BigAppleBagels
• Instagraminstagram.com/bigapplebagels
• Xx.com/bigapplebagels

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Apple Bagels