Thanks to H&H Bagels for sponsoring today’s post. All opinions in this piece are our own.
It’s hard to think of a name more synonymous with New York bagels than H&H Bagels. The New York City institution has been kettle-boiling bagels for over 50 years and has landed cameos in some of the most iconic New York-based movies and TV shows, like Seinfeld, Sex and the City, You’ve Got Mail, and The Office.
Until recently, eating one required either being in New York or paying to have a batch overnighted (which I am guilty of!). However, in February, H&H finally landed in Miami, opening its first location in my old stomping grounds of Pinecrest.
Admittedly, Miami’s bagel options have gotten better over the past few years, but if you’ve spent time in South Florida, you’ve almost certainly endured a transplanted New Yorker explaining (at excessive length) why bagels down here fall short. The water is their usual culprit. But H&H Bagels sidesteps the argument entirely – the dough gets made and kettle-boiled in New York City water, then shipped to stores, where bagels are baked fresh in batches all day long.
Behind H&H Bagel’s first Miami location(s) is franchisee Dylan Levin, a Chicago native who spent nearly a decade in New York before moving south with his family. He had no restaurant experience when he signed on, but a career spanning finance, M&A consulting, and operations left him with a clear picture of the kind of business he wanted to run.
Of course, H&H was already part of his New York routine, and after spotting the brand’s Boca Raton franchise location, he began wondering why Miami had so few bagel shops that matched what he got north. Frankly, that question has crossed my mind, too.
We sat down with Levin to talk about trading finance for bagels, why Pinecrest got the nod for H&H Bagel’s first Miami shop, the trip he squeezed in a week before his daughter arrived that locked in the deal, and what he orders when he’s behind the counter.
Tell me a little about your background. Where did you grow up, and what was your career path before H&H Bagels?
Let’s start with the obvious: I had absolutely zero restaurant experience before opening H&H Bagels.
I grew up in Chicago with my twin brother and was raised by a single mom. I’ve also had a stutter my whole life, something that has shaped the kind of person that I am today. I actually think it’s one of the best things that ever happened to me. It taught me patience. It taught me how to listen. It taught me that everyone is dealing with something, and this just happens to be my thing. And it taught me how to persevere through challenges.
My grandfather also had a huge impact on my life. He built his own business first in the tin foil business and later in real estate. When he passed away a few years ago, I found myself thinking a lot about the life he built. I realized I wanted to build something of my own too.
I went to George Washington University thinking I was going to work in politics or foreign affairs. I studied international affairs, interned at the Department of Commerce, worked on a political campaign...and pretty quickly realized politics wasn’t for me.
That led me into mergers and acquisitions consulting, then strategy and operations and eventually to New York, where I spent almost ten years. Looking back, I don’t think I appreciated it at the time, but I was getting a front row seat to what made businesses successful and just as importantly, what made them fail.
But there was always this voice in the back of my head saying, “Go build your own thing.” Eventually I decided to listen to it. That decision is what led me to H&H Bagels.
What originally brought you to South Florida, and what made you decide to make Miami home?
What brought me to South Florida was having a baby girl and wanting a life for her that wasn’t concrete and all the hustle New York offers. What honestly sold Miami was the energy this city has. It felt like a city where people were taking chances. Starting businesses. Building things. Reinventing themselves. There was an optimism here that I was really drawn to because that’s exactly where I was in my own life.
Our daughter was born here. I opened H&H Bagels here. We’ve built an incredible community here. What started as a move has turned into home, and I honestly can’t picture it any other way.
What first attracted you to H&H Bagels?
One day I was driving through Boca and saw an H&H Bagels. I literally remember thinking, “Wait...since when is H&H Bagels in Florida?” I looked it up and realized it was a franchise. I got excited immediately. Not because I saw a franchise opportunity. Because I knew the brand.
I had spent almost ten years living in New York, and I can’t tell you how many bacon, egg and cheeses I ate from H&H Bagels. There was a stretch where I was taking Amtrak to Philadelphia a couple times a week for work, and my routine was always the same. Stop at Moynihan Train Hall. Grab a bacon, egg and cheese, or a nova salmon with the works, a coffee, and run to catch my train. H&H Bagels was just part of my week.
Then I started looking around Miami. I remember thinking, “How are there not more great bagel shops here?” There were places selling bagels, but very few that reminded me of the bagels I had gotten used to in New York. I honestly felt like Miami deserved better.
That’s when it all clicked. This wasn’t just a business I thought could be successful. It was a business I genuinely believed in. And maybe most importantly, I could actually picture myself doing it every single day.
What was the moment when you decided, “I’m going to become an H&H franchise owner”?
I don’t think there was one lightning bolt moment where I said, this is definitely happening. It was more like the conviction kept growing.
The moment that really sticks with me happened the week before my daughter was born.
Most people would’ve been nesting at home. I got on a plane to New York. Looking back, it sounds a little crazy, but I knew I needed to meet the H&H Bagels team in person. I wanted to hear their vision, ask every question I could think of, and honestly, convince them that I was the right person to bring H&H Bagels to Miami.
By the end of that trip, I had my answer. But more importantly, I believed I was the right person to build it. I flew home thinking, we are doing this 100%.
And a week later, my daughter was born.
Looking back, it’s funny how those two chapters of my life started almost at the exact same time. Becoming a father and becoming a business owner happened within days of each other, and in a lot of ways they’ve grown up together ever since
What were some of the biggest challenges—and biggest rewards—of opening this first location?
The biggest challenge was learning patience. When I first signed on with H&H Bagels, I thought I’d be open in six months. I was very wrong. I quickly learned that’s not how the process works. Finding the right location, negotiating a lease, designing the space, navigating permits, coordinating construction, every step takes longer than you think it will. I’m someone who likes to take action and solve problems, but this process taught me that some things simply take time.
The biggest reward, without question, is seeing customers enjoy the product. There is nothing quite like watching someone take their first bite of an H&H bagel or sandwich. You can literally see the reaction on their faces. It’s validation that all the work, stress, and waiting were worth it.
If someone is visiting H&H Bagels for the first time, what are they ordering and what’s your personal go to order?
For a first-time visitor, it’s hard to beat our Bacon, Egg & Cheese. It’s our best selling sandwich for a reason. Fresh cracked eggs, sizzling bacon and melted cheese on one of our bagels, nothing gets better. If you want an insider tip, add cream cheese. It sounds unconventional, but it brings the whole sandwich together and takes it to another level. H&H Bagels is all real food, made to order.
My personal favorite is our Nova Salmon with the Works (capers, onions, tomatoes, nova, cream cheese), but with scallion cream cheese on an onion bagel.
Looking ahead five years, what would success look like for you?
Professionally, success would mean becoming the go to place people think of when they think of breakfast in Miami.
I’d love to see at least five H&H Bagels locations throughout Miami, employing more than fifty people and building a reputation for exceptional quality and service. I want people to think of H&H Bagels the same way New Yorkers do, as a brand they trust.
Also five years from now, If I can build a great company while also being a great husband and father, I’ll consider that a success. I hope my daughter sees someone who took a chance, worked hard, treated people the right way, and wasn’t afraid to pursue something he believed in.
@hhbagels // 11311 S Dixie Hwy, Pinecrest
