What’s all the buzz about?
With lines of people stretching a block to get in the door for Josh Steiner’s pastries, some of which are made with his homegrown honey, Hive Bagel & Deli resembles a beehive more than a bakery.
“We did a couple of weeks of a soft opening,” says Steiner, 32, owner of the new business at 276 South Front Street, Suite 105.
Recalling the first day of their soft opening, Steiner says, “We got overwhelmed with the positive feedback we got. We had lines out the door to the point where the first week we had to close two days early ’cause we sold out.”
And that hasn’t stopped. “Depending on the day, especially the weekends, we have a line definitely down the block. It’s all bagels and sandwiches and salads. Toasted bagels with cream cheese, so people don’t have to wait. And some pastries and coffee. It’s very casual.”
It’s also gratifying, Steiner says. “You never know. You can make a whole bunch of stuff and people not like your product. Though, there are not that many bagel places in town. But there’s still that stress and anxiety, for sure.”
But, he says, “When people show up, that shows you’re doing a good job.”
Steiner, who was chef/owner of two restaurants, Strano! and Strano by Chef Josh, and his wife, Wallis, got into beekeeping and selling honey a few years ago. “That’s still alive and well. And we use that honey in our bagels. In our recipes. We boil the bagels, the New York style, and add the honey. We use honey in a lot of our pastries as well. Such as a favorite: honey butter croissants.
“It’s very classical in the way we do our pastries. My training comes from San Francisco, New York, and all these other places. So, it’s a very European approach to the pastries and breads. It’s just a fresh product. Our flour is all natural. We use a lot of whole wheat products. No bleach or vitamins or nutrients added later. Our flour is artisan-sourced.
“Ours are just quality products. Quality ingredients get you the quality product.”
Moving into the bakery/deli business “definitely evolved when Covid happened. We closed down Strano. And that’s when I got married. My wife and I wanted to figure out what to do next.”
Steiner took some time to further his culinary education. He studied at Valrhona in Brooklyn, New York, and the San Francisco Baking Institute.
The look and feel of Hive is a “combination” of the concept developed by Steiner and his wife. They wanted “something modern, clean, bright, welcoming that feels good when you walk in. And shows the aesthetics of the product through the build-out. That, and we’re making pretty stuff. The pastry is beautiful. The bread is beautiful. So, you need a great place to show that stuff.”
His baguette sandwiches are among his most popular items. “People love The Front Street Deli [the sandwich],” he says. “It’s our house-smoked corned beef, Swiss cheese, lettuce, mustard, and house-made pickles”
“We know people like these,” he adds. “We’re selling out of them.”
And, he says, “We sell out most of the time or I’m pretty close to it. If not, we donate our stuff to two or three charities.”
Steiner has no plans to serve dinner at Hive. “We want to be known for what we’re doing, which is breakfast and lunch.”
The menu is constantly evolving. Hive will feature more sandwiches as well as “tarts and pies and stuff like that” on the pastry side.
Also, he says, “We’re starting to get our foot in the door on catering. I finished a whole catering menu. Boxes and platters. We’ll be launching that at our corporate events or office lunches.”
Steiner has no desire to go back into the restaurant business. “I want to be able to come home every night to see my wife and daughter. Strano was fun and great when I had it. This is what I desire at the moment. Work in the morning and come home at night.”
