With a new menu catering to local highlights, Bagels on Pointe owner John Monaco continues to draw from his time in the Bronx, where he managed New York delis, and his homemade bagels elevate both new creations and long-time staples.
 
Open since April, Bagel on Pointe’s new fare includes fan-favorite the Kure with chicken, bacon, avocado, lettuce and tomato; and the Carolina – think turkey, spinach, swiss cheese, honey mustard and jalapeno.
 
“Breakfast is our bread and butter,” Monaco said, and his fresh bagels come in 20 different flavors. In addition to more elaborate lunch sandwiches (all choices come with chips, tots or fries), perennial tastes such as bacon, egg and cheese are always on the menu.
 
The shop is located at 1611 Dusty Miller Lane at The Pointe at Barclay.
 
A five-year Wilmington local, Monaco left a career in corporate America. “My wife and I wanted to live somewhere warmer, and I was ready to start a new enterprise,” said Monaco, who’d been a corporate executive for the New York Sports Club and Gold’s Gym.
 
“I’ve always been a big bagel fan,” he said. “I knew this was a food lover’s town, and I saw an opportunity.”
 
On any given day, Bagels on Pointe aficionados may spot a 1975 Corvette out back. Monaco is an avid car collector, and he runs a classic car club called Cape Fear Cars. The first Saturday of every month, hundreds of classic cars rumble into the parking lot, and the drivers always stop by to fill up.
 
“All the car enthusiasts come by the shop,” Monaco said.