By Lisa Zola-DeLibero
Finding a delicious bagel in Robbinsville is as easy as finding Jim’s Bagel Loft.
Owner Jim Lillis, 58, knew he wanted to be in the bagel business since the age of 13, while working for a place in Old Bridge. Born in Manhattan, this bagel lover moved with his family to Old Bridge, where he got his first taste of how things went down in a bagel shop.
“I loved the idea of mixing raw materials and making money doing it,” Lillis said. “I was working in the industry and then decided in 1979 that I wanted to open my own place. In 1981, I opened Twin River Bagels in East Windsor, and we were a big part of the community for 20 years.”
After years of being located in East Windsor, Lillis decided to move his place to 34 Robbinsville Allentown Road, changed the name to Jim’s Bagel Loft, and the community that dined on his delicacies followed him over to the new location.
“Robbinsville was up and coming, and they are still coming,” said Lillis, who is now a resident of the community himself. “I love it here, and the people of Robbinsville are great.”
The Loft, which is open everyday from 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. is never closed for a holiday—not even Christmas or Yom Kippur. They even make an “everything bagel turkey stuffing” for Thanksgiving using chicken stock and bagels. Customers rave about it, Lillis said.
“We want everyone who comes here to be happy with what we make, and they are,” Lillis said. “In addition to serving the community, as well as travel athletes, and people heading to LBI for the weekend, we are also the deliverer of bagels to the new Amazon center, which has over 1,500 employees.”
The father of Samantha, 26, Jimmy, 30—who both work in the Loft—and Frank, 27, Lillis is busy with projects that help the community in ways that go beyond his store.
“We are very involved in the Robbinsville Meals On Wheels program,” Lillis said. “We supply everyone involved in the program with a bagel everyday. We have also supplied runners involved in the Tomm May run with bagels, and we donate to local cancer fundraisers. We want to help the community, which is a beautiful place to live and be a part of.”
One of the things that Lillis is very proud of is the photos station that he has set up at the business. Employees take photos of children who come into the store and put the photos on the flat screen television set up in the business.
“The kids and parents wait to see the photos come up when they come in and order their bagels,” Lillis said. “We get to watch the kids grow up with their families. In fact, we started doing this at the other place in East Windsor, using baby pictures. Now the kids are 30 years old, and they are still coming in to buy bagels.”
Jim’s Bagel Loft has a rewards program at jimsbagelloft.com, which includes perks like a free breakfast sandwich just for joining. Reward members also receive a free breakfast sandwich on their birthday. Lillis claims his business’ bagel, egg, bacon and cheese sandwiches are unlike any other.
Lillis also said he has developed a product that will change the way people eat bagels.
“I have developed a knife that has 3 blades, and will cut two pieces of the bagel out of the middle, leaving the ends to be rebaked into hard, crispy, chunky bagel chips,” Lillis said. “The two inside slices will be bagel bread, soft and chewy, that you can use to make a sandwich with.”
Lillis has had the same staff with him for a long time, many of whom are either family or like family. His family has always been important to Lillis, and with the birth of his new granddaughter, Morgan Kelly, Lillis has someone new to live for.
“She is the light of my life,” he said. “She gives me another reason to make bagels, and to keep on doing what I love to do.”
Jim’ Bagel Loft is located at 34 Robbinsville-Alltentown Road. Phone: (609) 259-4388.
An assortment of bagels from the shop. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.),
