FIPS CARES: La Bagel Delight, A Final Plea

OK, so as much as you btchz know that I love La Bagel Delight like a fat kid loves cake, my loyalty has been tested recently. Bagel Market has recently joined the Park Slope bagelsphere, and based on the fact that it's pretty much standing room only in that joint 24/7, that's gotta be hurtin LBD's bottom line. And as much as I tried to resist Bagel Market's siren call, I couldn't help myself: THEY HAVE MINI-BAGELS!

Also, they offer that delivery to the door service for ppl with hot dogs like me, even though I still don't know their fucking phone number.

Anyway.

The other issue I have with the N. Slope location of LBD is that the layout makes me positively murder-y. I do confess that I enjoy watching the green out-of-towners try to figure out the procedure in there, but also that reminds how fucking stupid the procedure is:

• Get in one of the two lines, though you'll probs just stand in the line to the right cause it's totally confusing and you can't really tell it's two.
• Stand there for awhile.
• As you get somewhat close-ish to the front, just start screaming out your order at the top of your lungs as soon as one of the guys says "NEXT." Yep, even though he seems like he's not talking to you he is.
• Awkwardly step to the side, even though there's no room for you to stand there and you're not sure where you'll need to go to pick up your order.
• Try to make more room for the 2 ppl behind you who now need to stand off to the side, along with the 3 people in front of you who are also now waiting. If this shit were a drain, it would be way the hell clogged up.
• Try to push your way through all these ppl to get close enough to the register to actually pay when the guy who was helping you says "ALL SET."
• Now try to push your way through: the 2 haphazard lines, the sea of ppl waiting for their food, and that chick with the double stroller in order to get back outside.
• Yell expletive under your breath after you make it out to the street and think to yourself yet again: HOLY SHIT, THAT PLACE IS SET UP SOOOOO STOOOPIDLY.

Ok, so despite my bitching, I really *do* care about this place. In fact, I care about it so much, I decided to consult a professional in the hopes that we could all work together to turn things around.

Mark Pennell from Pennell Design, has been building and designing homes in NYC for the last 15 years...so the dude obvs knows what he's talking about. He also happens to live in Park Slope and has been a long-time LBD customer. We asked him to see if he could take the bull by the horn, and re-envision the space inside of La Bagel Delight to save us all from feeling like we wanna bang our heads against the deli counter every time we walk through the door.

Voila:

click to enlargeHere's what Mark had to say:

You've got to be a total diehard to keep coming back to La Bagel Delight (which I am), because it's  a serious pain in the ass there. Basically, you've got to run a frigging obstacle course to get your sandwich, but the fix is not rocket science: put the cash register by the door! You have a long narrow space in there, so why set it up like a short space? We all end up all squashed up in the back, and it's just wrong!

Also, look at M&S Prime Meats on 5th ave where you can talk over the top of the coolers because they're not six feet high--LBD's should be lower. And finally, if that skanky newspaper stand next to Yamato can turn itself around, than so can La Bagel Delight.

By the way, I want free sandwiches and bagels in perpetuity for this. Erica too [ed. note: YES, PLS!].

Anyway, yeah: consider this shit a public service service initiative, LBD! Like the PPW bike lane, but less controversial. Feel free to use Pennell Design's layout, and let's CHANGE SHIT UP! Oh, and also can you pls start making mini-bagels too?