New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Sugar Rush owners bring fresh bagels to downtown Shelton
SHELTON — Making dough is second nature for Ali and Flamur Nasufi.
The brothers — with a combined three decades of restaurant experience — have been doing it since their childhood, thanks to their father, Remzi, himself a restaurateur for some five decades. Now the pair will be boiling and baking dough for bagel lovers in downtown Shelton.
“Restaurants are in our blood. We basically grew up in a breadbasket,” Ali said about himself and his brother, who honed their craft under the wing of their father, who has owned and operated numerous restaurants from Torrington through the Valley to Stratford over the years.
“It has always been our dream to open an ice cream shop and a bagel shop, now we will have them both,” Ali said.
The brothers got into the ice cream business two years ago, opening Sugar Rush USA at 901 Bridgeport Ave. Now the pair plan to unveil Bagel Bros & Co. at 350 Howe Ave., former home of Uncle G’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, with an opening set for later next week.
“We saw the opportunity,” Ali said about opening the bagel business, adding that the city has “no shop dedicated solely to bagels.”
The Nasufis will be making fresh New Yorkstyle bagels, “crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside,” Ali said, plus inhouse created cream cheese blends and a menu with some 15 gourmet deli sandwiches, assorted pastries, donuts and coffee.
The shop will be a “grab-and-go” operation in a spot the brothers feel will only continue to thrive as downtown revitalization continues in earnest.
“We love the downtown area. The redevelopment is impressive,” Ali said. “Downtown is up and coming, and this space was perfect for us.”
Ali said the family has enjoyed having the ice cream shop along Bridgeport Avenue, which is a business hub for the city. But moving downtown allows for the pair to tap into what will only be more foot traffic from the everincreasing number of apartments coming online.
“What we have seen here is that people in Shelton support local, small businesses,” said Ali, referring to what he has seen with Sugar Rush USA. “We love dealing with the customers in Shelton. They have become like family, that’s why when we wanted to make the move on opening a bagel shop, we felt the best move was to stay here in Shelton.”
Before opening Sugar Rush USA in 2021, the brothers owned and operated Juliano’s in Stratford. Their father is known for owning multiple restaurants, including Stella’s in Stratford, Artans in Shelton, Alberto’s in Seymour and Vinny’s in Naugatuck and Torrington.
Bagel Bros & Co. Will be open Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., weekends, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.