Anything Bagel Revives the Legendary Block’s Recipe on Columbus’ East Side
For nearly six decades, getting a true New York-style bagel in Ohio meant heading to Block’s Bagels. Now, a fresh face in the McNaughten Center is bringing those iconic formulas back to life.
For generations of local breakfast enthusiasts, Block’s Bagels was never just a convenient morning stop—it was a culinary institution. Now, that void is shrinking.
Taking over the familiar East Side storefront at 6115 McNaughten Center, a new venture called Anything Bagel officially opened its doors on August 14. Rather than starting from scratch, the fresh shop inherited the original Block’s bagel recipe. The leadership team is dedicated to producing the boiled-and-baked rings the exact way generations of Columbus residents remember enjoying them.
A Familiar East Side Address With a Fresh Coat of Paint
The McNaughten Center location is no stranger to neighborhood transitions. After Block’s closed its doors, the space briefly hosted Cincinnati-based Marx Bagels. That operation proved short-lived, however, as the company eventually shifted its focus back toward its home territory in southwestern Ohio.
When Anything Bagel took possession of the property, the interior received a thorough cosmetic refresh. Patrons walking through the doors now encounter a striking black-and-yellow design scheme. Yet, despite the modern aesthetic updates, the kitchen’s heartbeat remains entirely rooted in local nostalgia.
The main attraction is undoubtedly the return of the classic recipe that anchored the corridor for nearly sixty years since the original establishment opened in 1967. Alongside those legacy heritage bagels, the daily menu features an expanded lineup of breakfast sandwiches, classic deli staples, and supporting café items.
Community Engagement and Opening Celebrations
Beyond leaning into historical goodwill, the new shop is attempting to forge its own identity within the East Side neighborhood. Store management has introduced a weekly charitable initiative dubbed the “Bake It Forward” menu item.
Under this program, a rotating specialty bagel appears on the board each week, with a designated portion of the proceeds channeled directly to support a local cause. It is a calculated effort to blend old-school neighborhood loyalty with contemporary civic engagement.
To mark its debut, the bakery rolled out a high-profile launch promotion. One lucky customer was selected to receive free bagels for a full year—translating to a dozen fresh bagels each month for the next twelve months.
Operating daily from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Anything Bagel is testing whether the enduring appeal of a historic local recipe can capture the loyalty of a new generation of morning commuters.
