New York Bagel Co. is set to open its eighth location this fall inside a former Dunkin' at 623 Fall River Ave. in Seekonk. The scratch-made bagel chain, which originally opened in 1989 and whose two original shops were bought by Dawn Lima, Kyle Lima, and Cliff Ponte Jr. in March 2024, has expanded to locations across the region.
The Seekonk site previously operated as a Dunkin' coffee and donut shop before it closed, according to Fall River Reporter, which first reported the new location. The Seekonk site adds another location to the chain's growing footprint.
From Two Shops to Eight in Under Three Years
The chain now has seven listed locations, with an eighth announced for the fall. The Fall River Reporter's report lists new outposts in Acushnet, Taunton, Stoughton, a second South Dartmouth spot, a second Fall River store, and now Seekonk. The bagel shops themselves date back to 1989, according to the same report, giving the brand decades of South Coast history well before its current owners took over.
That takeover happened in March 2024, when Dawn Lima, Kyle Lima, and Cliff Ponte Jr. bought the two original New York Bagel shops. Kyle Lima is an active Fall River firefighter, while Dawn Lima serves as General Manager of the two original locations and handles day-to-day operations there, according to the Fall River Reporter. Dawn Lima brought a decade of prior experience managing high-volume coffee shops into the deal, the outlet reported.
A Commissary Built From a Local Bakery's Closure
Behind the scenes, the trio's biggest infrastructure move came earlier this year, when New York Bagel Co. announced its expansion into the former Sunrise Bakery building at 571 Dartmouth Street in South Dartmouth. The company designated the larger site as its main baking facility and commissary hub to support distribution across all of its regional stores, per Dartmouth Week. Sunrise Bakery had been a longtime Dartmouth community staple before it closed, and New York Bagel Co. moved into the space.
Every store bakes bagels from scratch daily, and the menu also features coffee and espresso, gourmet cream cheese, deli sandwiches, egg sandwiches, and salads, fruit, and bakery items, according to Fall River Reporter's account. The chain pairs its bagels with organic coffee sourced from Massachusetts-based Jim's Organic Coffee, the outlet has reported separately, part of a broader push to lean on local partnerships as competition from national drive-thru chains intensifies across Bristol County.
The Political and Real Estate Muscle Behind the Growth
Cliff Ponte Jr. has been the subject of Fall River political coverage. The Fall River Reporter has discussed him as a possible successor in city leadership, according to the Fall River Reporter. He's also co-owner of Keller Williams South Watuppa, which grew from a 24-agent office into the largest real estate brokerage on the South Coast, representing more than 216 agents as of August 2026, per BankFive. That commercial real estate background helps explain how the group has been able to move so quickly on retail site acquisitions.
Ponte and Kyle Lima's appetite for reviving legacy South Coast food brands didn't stop at bagels. In March 2025, the pair purchased and revived the historic Fall River restaurant Rogers Coney Island Hot Dogs after its previous owner announced it would permanently close, according to FUN 107. Upon acquiring Rogers Coney Island, the duo planned to keep as many employees as possible and indicated the menu would remain untouched, the outlet reported.
Where to Find New York Bagel Co. Now
Beyond the incoming Seekonk shop, New York Bagel Co. currently operates locations at 272 State Road in Dartmouth, 571 Dartmouth Street in South Dartmouth, 550 Newton Street and 1572 President Avenue in Fall River, 158 Main Street in Acushnet, 1580 Turnpike Street in Stoughton, and 1939 Bay Street in Taunton. Hours vary by location, though select sites like Taunton have tested extended evening hours until 8 p.m.
The ownership group has said its goal has been to grow the inherited business without losing the customer loyalty it built over decades. With an eighth store now on the way and a dedicated commissary humming in South Dartmouth, that balancing act between rapid expansion and small-shop quality is about to get its biggest test yet.
