Block's North Market and Broad Street locations become Fox's Bagel & Deli

Block's bagels, a central Ohio institution for more than half a century, is down to one location after two of the stores were converted to Fox's Bagel & Deli.

Block's locations at 3012 E. Broad St., near Bexley, and in the North Market are no longer associated with the long-standing business and have been replaced with Fox's Bagel.

The change leaves the decades-long institution of Block's, which started on Kellner Road in 1967, with one location, at 6115 McNaughten Rd. on the Far East Side. That site will remain unchanged.

Jeremy Fox opened the Block's East Broad Street location in 2017 and the North Market store through a licensing agreement with Block's in the expectation of eventually purchasing the Block's business outright.

Now, Fox said, Fox and Block's will go their "separate ways."

"This move will allow us to better serve our customers and the community we operate in, and we are looking forward to the days ahead," said Fox in an email.

Fox said the menu at Fox's Bagel is still fairly standard for a bagel deli. The recipes for the bagels, deli salads, cream cheeses and desserts are different, however, and made in Fox's production centers. The bagel shop is also looking into making most other items from scratch, as well as expanding vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and kosher options. Fox's Bagel is not certified kosher, as are some products at Block's McNaughten Road store.

Fox also owns Heirloom Café at the Wexner Center for the Arts and the virtual restaurant Sammy's Bagels. His food cart, Short North Bagel Deli, has not been operational since the beginning of the pandemic.

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Block's also closed its 3415 E. Broad St. location in 2016.

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@TaijuanNichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Block's bagels down to one location after two become Fox's Bagel