At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, then-Gallatin student Jimmy Tsoulos split his time between online classes and long shifts at his family’s Greek restaurant, Avra. Even when the business closed temporarily, Tsoulos found himself surrounded by food, working in the kitchen alongside his twin brother and packing meals for a Manhattan hospital.
After graduating from NYU in 2021 with a concentration in business management and psychology, Tsoulos picked up a formal job at Avra. But it wasn’t until around two years later, when he reconnected with his grade-school classmate Jesse Spellman, that he found his way to Utopia Bagels — the humble Queens shop-turned fan-favorite chain founded by Spellman’s father in 1981. Though he never imagined working in the bagel business, Tsoulos quickly made it a family affair: He enlisted his brother, Angelo, to round out the trio that now runs Utopia Bagels’ three locations.
Tsoulos spoke to WSN about how his upbringing in the food industry and focus on hospitality at NYU has helped him preserve Utopia Bagels’ reputation as one of New York City’s best bagel shops.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
WSN: Before attending NYU, you had already grown up in the city and worked at your parents’ Manhattan restaurant. What drew you to the university, and how did your time there shape your career path?
Tsoulos: It was always a dream of mine to go to school in Manhattan — I felt at home at NYU and I really enjoyed my time there. Even during my two years of remote schooling, I still felt like I was a big part of the community and I was getting support from professors. Gallatin was very interdisciplinary, and I took courses in things that I never thought I would be interested in and ended up having a huge interest in. My advisor in Gallatin was very helpful in pushing me towards the right courses.
When I first began attending NYU, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go into the family business. By the time I graduated, my professors and my advisor motivated me and helped me come to that decision. I was really grateful for it.
Tsoulos credits his background in food service to Avra. He has been involved with the restaurant since he was 13 years old and worked at one of its three Manhattan locations immediately after graduation, before moving to open an additional restaurant in Miami with his brother. The Mediterranean fine dining restaurant takes inspiration from the Greek village of Nafpaktos, where Tsoulos’ father grew up.
In Miami, Tsoulos led Avra’s operations, from construction of the restaurant to the hiring of staff. But with his family and girlfriend — now wife — in New York, he took a leap of faith to move back home and take his career in a new direction.
WSN: You arrived back in the city without a concrete plan. How did you reconnect with Spellman and go from old friends to business partners?
Tsoulos: We started as grade-school friends. After I came back to New York, we were catching up and started talking about the business and our future plans. He had mentioned to me that he wanted to grow his brand and we realized our visions aligned.
We want to open as many locations as possible but, at the same time, nurture each store like a child. We were in the second location every day, talking to the employees and having conversations with everyone. In my opinion, the only way to build a successful operation in hospitality is by showing up every day. That was kind of our pitch and that’s how we’ve grown my family’s concepts — that’s the backbone of our operations. We opened the second location in June of 2024 on 120 East 34th Street, and we gave out bagels to the community for free. We announced it the day before and there were people lined up. I remember showing up at 6 a.m. and being in shock at the amount of reception we got from the community. Since then, our expectations for the brand have grown a lot.
Originally established as a small shop in Whitestone, Queens, Utopia Bagels hand-rolls and kettle boils all of its bagels, before baking them until crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Coupled with the influence of New York City water, the chain’s bagels are known for their distinct taste and texture.
The Tsoulos brothers and Spellman reached an agreement in 2023 and together signed a lease for Utopia Bagels’ 34th Street and Lexington Avenue location, marking the start of the brand’s Manhattan expansion. The twins went on to help Spellman open another location in Long Island last year and are now working toward finalizing a fourth store on Third Avenue and 52nd Street, which they hope to complete before May. Beyond bagels, they are also planning to open a pizzeria in Long Island City in the near future.
WSN: In the last few years, Utopia Bagels has boomed in popularity. What makes the business so successful?
Tsoulos: As a family-run brand, we try to carry over that feeling. You walk in and the cashier greets you with a smile, and treats you like you’re at home or walking into your grandma’s house and she has a hot meal ready for you. That’s what we think hospitality is: Half of it is the product, and the other half is how you feel when you’re eating the product. We go into these communities, and we want somewhere that all the people in the neighborhood feel like they could go and see their friends and enjoy the food that we serve. We train our staff to be as hospitable as possible and as gracious as they can be. That’s our philosophy.
Each Utopia Bagels shop serves anywhere between 1,000 and 1,500 customers on the weekends and about 600 to 750 on weekdays, in addition to catering services. Although Tsoulos himself prefers a plain bagel toasted with butter, he recommends Utopia Bagels’ sausage, egg and cheese on a French toast bagel for a “salty and sweet combination.”
With over 200,000 followers and millions of likes across social media platforms, the popular bagels were named the “Best of the Fest” in 2024 by BagelFest, the nation’s largest bagel competition. Tsoulos and two of his partners were also named on Forbes’ most recent “30 under 30” list in the food and drink category, which said that Utopia Bagels was expected to hit over $20 million in revenue last year.
WSN: In your roughly three years at the bagel shop, what are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned?
Tsoulos: Before I got into the bagel business, I used to wake up later and go to sleep later. Since bagels are a big breakfast item, I have learned that I have to be up early. I’ve also learned to definitely treat everyone with respect, no matter what, whether it’s a dishwasher or a busboy or a baker in a bagel store. We’ve had a lot of accomplishments and good things happen, but we’ve also had a couple of setbacks that we’ve learned from. Lastly, I would say there’s no shortcuts to running a business. You really have to put the time in, be present and be all in. You have to give it your all — otherwise, you’re not going to get anywhere.
Contact Selin Kemiktarak at [email protected].