New York-style bagels are officially headed for Jacksonville's Mandarin neighborhood. H&H Bagels is set to open a new shop on March 5, 2026, at 10025 San Jose Boulevard in Crown Point Plaza, bringing its kettle-boiled dough and Manhattan pedigree to the former Capriotti's space.
The Mandarin store will be run by franchisee Josh Witt, who already operates H&H's St. Johns location. To get neighbors in the door fast, the company plans to hand out tote bags stuffed with gift cards to the first 250 customers on opening day, with card values ranging from $5 to $100.
H&H says its bagels are proofed and kettle-boiled in New York, then shipped south to be finished and baked on site throughout the day, a process the brand credits for preserving that classic New York chew and crust.
As reported by the Florida Times-Union, the Mandarin shop will roll out familiar flavors like plain, everything, sesame, cinnamon-raisin and jalapeño-cheddar. Cream cheese options will include scallion, spicy scallion, veggie and strawberry.
The Florida Times-Union also notes that customers can expect classic sandwiches such as bacon, egg and cheese and a Nova salmon "with the works". On the expansion into Mandarin, CEO Jay Rushin told the outlet the company is "incredibly excited to continue sharing our bagels with the Jacksonville community."
New York Roots, Jacksonville Ovens
On its website, H&H Bagels lays out its playbook: dough is proofed and kettle-boiled in New York, then sent to franchise kitchens to be baked in small batches throughout the day. The company says that approach is key to preserving texture and flavor.
The brand traces its history to Manhattan's Upper West Side, where it started in 1972. In recent years, it has turned to franchising to speed up growth across the country, according to the Jax Daily Record.
Franchise Footprint and the Mandarin Shop
Franchisee Josh Witt is listed as the owner-operator for the Mandarin location, and reporting says he has three additional H&H sites in development in the Jacksonville area, per the Florida Times-Union. The Mandarin store will fill the Crown Point Plaza space on San Jose Boulevard that Capriotti's previously occupied, the outlet notes.
How Crowded Is Too Crowded for Bagels?
Jacksonville already has a healthy lineup of bagel options from both local independents and national chains, so H&H arrives as a recognizable name in an already competitive field, local reporting indicates.
Industry coverage of the brand's national rollout, which includes openings in Boca Raton, Tampa and Washington, D.C., suggests H&H brings plenty of name recognition but has drawn mixed reviews in some markets. That means Mandarin customers will likely be the final judges on whether the bagels live up to the New York hype, according to the Washington Post.
