A popular Upper West Side bagel shop found its way around a schmear campaign.
New Absolute Bagels said it changed its name over the weekend to appease the Manhattan shop’s “surly” previous owner, who was threatening to sue if it didn’t.
A banner featuring its new name — “2788 Bagels,” based on its address on Broadway between West 107th and 108th streets — was quietly erected outside the store, which was shut down under old owner Sam Thongkrieng last year after three decades because of a litany of health-code violations.
“The previous owner threatened legal action if we continued to use the name. We wanted to keep the name and continued negotiations, but they were not accepted,” said Andy Kimm, the manager of the re-opened shop, to the West Side Spirit.
“We want to carry on the tradition and culture of Absolute Bagels. Although the name has changed, we will work with our staff to maintain the same taste,” Kimm said.
Thongkrieng ran the shop for 30 years before it was shuttered by the city Health Department in December.
He apparently had no qualms at first about passing on the name and business to a new owner.
“He didn’t seem to care, but maybe he had a change of heart,” said Rafe Evans, the broker for the sale, told The Post, adding that Thongkrieng appears to have moved to Thailand.
“He was always a bit of a surly fellow,” Evans explained.
Kyung Mi Kim reopened the shop in the spring as New Absolute Bagels, telling the neighborhood that little would change at the beloved store — which has made its mark on numerous best-bagel lists throughout its 30-year run.
Small aesthetic changes were made to the shop’s interior, and customers expressed hope that the new owners would be cleaner than Thongkrieng, who racked up a whopping 67-point violation sheet during an inspection last year.
Rat droppings were found in its food-preparation, storage and service areas under Thongkrieng, and sugar packets beneath the bagel counter were clearly gnawed by the pesky critters, inspectors said at the time.
Even worse, the rodents’ dead bodies were left to rot in glue traps on top of the walk-in unit, a representative for the DOH told The Post.
The food itself was also not properly cared for: The smoked salmon, for example, was covered in a nasty layer of condensed wastewater that was dripping from the display case.
The severe report card called for an immediate shut-down of the shop, and while Thongkrieng had the opportunity to remedy the conditions and reopen, he decided to close the business instead.
Evans and the landlord had hoped another bagel shop would replace the business and were elated with Kim’s plan to continue the legacy.
Neither Kim nor Thongkrieng responded to Post requests for comment.
