New York-style bagel water wars heat up as iconic brands battle for snowbirds

Snowbirds fleeing New York winters have long brought their tastes with them to Florida. Pizza, deli culture and bagels have followed the migration south.

That debate has sharpened with the arrival of a storied New York bagel brand, H&H Bagels, expanding into Florida and entering a market where Brooklyn Water Bagel — a Florida-founded chain built around New York-style bagels — already has a strong foothold.

At the center of the argument is water.

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Both companies say it's the secret ingredient that separates a proper New York bagel from an imitation. But they take different approaches to preserving that magic as they serve a state full of former New Yorkers eager for a taste of home.

Brooklyn Water Bagel was founded in Florida, opening its first location in Delray Beach in 2009. The chain has since grown to 21 locations throughout the state. 

"There's just a great combination of people in Florida," Daniel Smith, CEO of Brooklyn Water Bagel, told Fox News Digital. 

"And a lot of those folks [are] retirees from the Northeast [who] really appreciate and miss that bagel that they had at home."

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Brooklyn Water Bagel builds its brand around the idea that New York water itself — or at least a close approximation — is essential. Rather than shipping bagels south, the company recreates New York-style water in Florida.

"We have an entire water system in our restaurants that actually purifies the water in Florida," Smith said. "Then we add minerals such that it has those baking elements in the water to give it that special taste and flavor."

"There was a lot of work put into trying to figure out how to replicate New York water in Florida."

That water is used throughout production, including boiling the bagels before baking.

"There was a lot of work put into trying to figure out how to replicate New York water in Florida," he said — adding that it makes the bagels "absolutely fantastic."

H&H Bagels, by contrast, insists there is no substitute for the real thing.

The New York-based company, founded over 50 years ago and made popular on shows like "Seinfeld" and "The Office," opened its first out-of-state location in Boca Raton, Florida, in 2024.

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"H&H is an iconic New York City brand," Jay Rushin, CEO of H&H Bagels, told Fox News Digital. "We've been in business [since 1972]. We still use our original recipe, which follows the old-world process."

For H&H, authenticity means keeping production in New York. Its bagels are made in a 20,000-square-foot bakery near Queens using New York City water, then partially baked, frozen and shipped to Florida — where they're finished in-store, Rushin said.

"There's no way we could do right by the brand if we weren't making bagels in New York," Rushin said. 

Rushin argued that water is only part of the equation. Process and ingredients, he said, matter just as much.

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"It's not only great water, but it's the process of making a bagel," he said. "It's fully kettle-boiling it, which is very labor-intensive."

While some steps can be cut to reduce costs and labor, Rushin said H&H does not compromise.

"We use the highest-quality flour on the market," he said. 

"Our bagels have 13 to 14 grams of protein per bagel. … That is a direct reflection of the quality of the flour. That's a direct reflection of the cost of the flour. It's all about staying true to that process and staying true to using the highest-quality ingredients."

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The response to H&H's Florida debut has been "incredible," Rushin said.

Four other Florida locations have since opened, with five more expected to open by year's end.

Beyond Florida, H&H has expanded into several other states, with more growth planned. Its newest location opened on National Bagel Day in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

While Brooklyn Water Bagel arrived in Florida first, Smith does not consider the competition as hostile. Smith said he keeps an eye on the competition — including H&H — and speaks with them sometimes.

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"I go out and take a look and see what other people are doing," Smith said. 

Brooklyn Water Bagel won't be the only brand Smith is watching as Florida's bagel scene grows more crowded.

PopUp Bagels — a viral bagel concept known for its "grip, rip and dip" approach — opened its first of four Florida locations late last year, adding another competitor to the state's increasingly competitive breakfast landscape.

"There's never such a thing as too many bagels — but there is a difference in how they're experienced," PopUp Bagels CEO Tory Bartlett told Fox News Digital. 

"Florida is a natural fit for PopUp Bagels because it's social, energetic and food-driven."

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The Connecticut-born brand has gained a devoted following for its oven-fresh bagels and rotating schmears, winning top honors at New York's annual BagelFest two years in a row.