Brick Lane Beigel Shop's sudden closure leaves rival bagel store owner conflicted

The closure of one of the two famous bagel shops on Brick Lane has left the owner of the surviving bakery conflicted. Daniel Cohen, who owns Beigel Bake, the popular 'white one' bagel shop at 159 Brick Lane, has said their rival's loss will mean more business, but also risks a stranger moving in.

In February, the Beigel Shop, fondly known by locals as 'the yellow one', closed suddenly. A repossession order was taped to the window, then was covered by another notice saying electrical issues were at fault.

The document read: "Please note we have taken possession of the above mentioned property. An attempt of re-entry of the said property is an offence and proceedings will be taken for trespass and criminal damage."

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On Instagram, the Beigel Shop posted the following: "‘We will be closed for a short period to conduct essential electrical maintenance. Stay connected with us on social media for updated and news about reopening."

But rival bagel shop Beigel Bake don't seem as enthusiastic about the closure as you might seem. Speaking to the Financial Times, Cohen said: "We don't want some strangers to come to the road."

He also thought that together, the two bagel shops were stronger - the cluster effect helped to pull in crowds. But the Beigel Shop has promised they will return.

In the same statement on Instagram, the bakery said: "Stay connected with us on social media for updates and news about our reopening. Thank you for your support.

"We'll be back before you know it, ready to bake and serve our beigel family with love."

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