BRICK - Coming to New Jersey years ago from their native Caribbean and Central American countries, respectively, Ramona Ricart and Juan Santamaria each valued family and community. And today, the husband-and-wife duo from Toms River have successfully channeled those shared ideals into Manna Bagels Café, the cozy bagel, breakfast and lunch spot they launched in Brick last June.

A native of the Dominican Republic who moved to Lakewood at age 9, “I graduated from nearby Georgian Court University with a degree in criminal justice,” Ricart said. Though she anticipated a career in law, she ended up founding and running the Ocean County-based Latino Agency, which provided interpreting, document filing, tax preparation and other critical services to the Latino community for nearly 15 years.

Santamaria came from Costa Rica to North Jersey in 1991, worked in construction, and then founded Clifton-based Santamaria Construction in 1996, ultimately moving himself and the company to Brick in 2000. Always desiring a career in the restaurant industry, however, he launched River Rock Restaurant & Marina Bar in Brick in 2010 with two other partners.

Meeting through a mutual friend 10 years ago, Ricart and Santamaria married in 2018 and continued working in their separate fields. But recently the two saw an opportunity to work together in a shared venture.

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“I’d grown up on a coffee farm in Costa Rica and created True Vine Imports in 2021 to help expand the market here for the delicious, high-altitude coffee grown by my family,” Santamaria said.

Shortly after that, “we were approached about buying Cozy Kitchen in Brick, a little diner that had been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to the Brick community for over 40 years but was currently struggling to survive. Ramona and I were interested and wanted to bring our own flavor to the establishment, so we brought in our own coffee, and, because there was no bagel shop in the area, saw an opportunity to create one,” he said.

“We saw so much beauty in the space and called our shop Manna Bagels Café, a name that had a biblical connection because manna was the bread from heaven,” said Ricart of the 1,000-square-foot café they opened in June 2022. “We’re providing that bread every day.”

Making 'old style' bagels

Fully renovated by Santamaria himself based on his background in both construction and the restaurant industry and now sporting a modern kitchen, fresh paint colors and an inviting décor that features greenery and updated lighting, “Manna Bagels Café seats 37 inside and has additional seating on our outside patio,” Ricart said.

“We offer 17 different flavors of bagels, including seasonal ones such as pumpkin bagels in the fall or red, green and white-colored bagels at Christmastime,” said Ricart, who said that their ‘Everything’ bagel and ‘French Toast’ bagel (an egg bagel topped with cinnamon and sugar) are best sellers.

“We also offer tuna salad, chicken salad, lox and a variety of cream cheeses, including scallion, vegetable, strawberry, and our ‘Million Dollar’ cream cheese, which features scallions, toasted almonds, cheddar cheese, zesty green onions, and chunky bacon bits,” Ricart said.

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In the New York-New Jersey area — long considered America’s bagel hub — Santamaria said that Manna Bagels are a standout experience.

“We use a great recipe from a veteran bagel maker and procured all of the right equipment,” Santamaria said of the bagels they sell by the piece or for a special price of $19.99 for a dozen throughout the month of January. “We make them the ‘old style’ way by boiling them in a kettle, seasoning them, and then baking them in the oven, and our team members begin making them at 3 or 4 o’clock each morning, so our bagels are fresh every day. We sell them to walk-in customers and also provide quantities of bagels for a range of different parties, school functions, and community events.”

“People love to create their own combos, such as bagels with cream cheese, bacon and tomatoes, and then post pictures of them on social media,” Ricart noted.

But, say its owners, Manna Bagels Café is much more than just a great bagel shop.

“We offer a traditional Costa Rican ‘tico’ breakfast comprised of rice and black beans, sweet plantains, fried cheese, tortillas, a side of breakfast meat and eggs any style with a rich and flavorful sour cream,” Santamaria said of the hearty dish that’s become a favorite of the local surfer population.

Along with their ever-popular pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich, “we also offer a range of sandwiches, including a Cuban panini featuring our own fresh, homemade pork, as well as wraps, bagel sandwiches, cheesesteaks, wings, mozzarella sticks, empanadas, smoothies and salads,” he said. “We additionally offer our own specialty coffee, which is low in acidity and extremely smooth and satisfying.”

“With our great lunch menu, we’re more than just bagels and breakfast and we hope that people from the neighborhoods all around us will come try us out,” Santamaria said.

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'It's a sacrifice'

Open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week and supported by nearly a dozen employees, Santamaria confirmed that running the shop can be demanding.

“We’re personally here by 6 a.m., so it’s an early start to each day,” Santamaria said. “We have children, other businesses and a household to run as well, so it’s a sacrifice.”

At the same time, he said, rising food prices have been a challenge.

“For example, the cost of eggs has quadrupled since we first opened in June and there are now often surcharges on what used to be free delivery,” he said. “We’ve addressed these increases by looking into other vendors and, in some cases, removing certain items from our menu, but we’re hoping for some kind of break in the system so that we can survive.”

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Despite the challenges, both Ricart and Santamaria take pride in the role the café plays in their local community.

“We’re in a great area, have a lot of regular customers, and are creating jobs as well as positive guest experiences,” Ricart said. “We’re excited to see so many young kids coming here on their bikes for bagels and love that they see us as a great neighborhood place that’s part of the fabric of the community.”

“We have a great recipe and would love to grow and possibly establish other locations throughout Ocean and Monmouth County,” added Santamaria of their hopes for Manna Bagels Café. “We also opened Santamaria Pizza on Route 88 in Brick last fall and love creating businesses and building communities. It makes us happy to see people and families enjoying delicious food in a place they feel good about.”

At Manna Bagels Café, “people will like the atmosphere,” Santamaria said. “It’s a cozy place where you can come in and feel at home.”

“People from all walks of life enjoy bagels and coffee here,” Ricart agreed. “The fact is, bagels bring people together.”

Manna Bagels Café

Location: 344 Herbertsville Road, Brick

Phone: 732-701-3209

Owners: Ramona Ricart and Juan Santamaria

Opened: June 2022

Website: www.mannabagels.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Manna Bagels Café in Brick NJ aims to provide 'bread from heaven'