A popular Upper West Side bagel shop found its way around a schmear campaign.<\/p>\n
New Absolute Bagels said it changed its name over the weekend to appease the Manhattan shop\u2019s \u201csurly\u201d previous owner, who was threatening to sue if it didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
A banner featuring its new name \u2014 \u201c2788 Bagels,\u201d based on its address on Broadway between West 107th and 108th streets \u2014 was quietly erected outside the store, which was shut down under old owner Sam Thongkrieng last year after three decades because of a litany of health-code violations. <\/a><\/p>\n New Absolute Bagels quietly renamed itself over the weekend. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post<\/p>\n \u201cThe previous owner threatened legal action if we continued to use the name. We wanted to keep the name and continued negotiations, but they were not accepted,\u201d said Andy Kimm, the manager of the re-opened shop, to the West Side Spirit. <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe want to carry on the tradition and culture of Absolute Bagels. Although the name has changed, we will work with our staff to maintain the same taste,\u201d Kimm said.<\/p>\n Thongkrieng ran the shop for 30 years before it was shuttered by the city Health Department in December.<\/p>\n He apparently had no qualms at first about passing on the name and business<\/a> to a new owner.<\/p>\n The original Absolute Bagels closed last year after being shut down by the Health Department. Robert Miller<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t seem to care, but maybe he had a change of heart,\u201d said Rafe Evans, the broker for the sale, told The Post, adding that Thongkrieng appears to have moved to Thailand.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was always a bit of a surly fellow,\u201d Evans explained.<\/p>\n Kyung Mi Kim reopened the shop in the spring as New Absolute Bagels, telling the neighborhood that little would change at the beloved store \u2014 which has made its mark on\u00a0numerous best-bagel lists<\/a>\u00a0throughout its 30-year run.<\/p>\n Small aesthetic changes were made to the shop\u2019s interior, and customers expressed hope that the new owners would be cleaner than Thongkrieng, who racked up a whopping 67-point violation sheet<\/a> during an inspection last year.<\/p>\n Rat droppings were found in its food-preparation, storage and service areas under Thongkrieng, and sugar packets beneath the bagel counter were clearly gnawed by the pesky critters, inspectors said at the time.<\/p>\n Even worse, the rodents\u2019 dead bodies were left to rot in glue traps on top of the walk-in unit, a representative for the DOH told The Post.<\/p>\n The previous owner allegedly threatened to sue the successor over the name. Robert Miller<\/p>\n The food itself was also not properly cared for: The smoked salmon, for example, was covered in a nasty layer of condensed wastewater that was dripping from the display case.<\/p>\n The severe report card called for an immediate shut-down of the shop, and while Thongkrieng had the opportunity to remedy the conditions and reopen, he decided to close the business instead.<\/p>\n Evans and the landlord had hoped another bagel shop would replace the business and were elated with Kim\u2019s plan to continue the legacy.<\/p>\n