New owners give Sam's a different flavor

Charles Village residents needn't worry that the neon signs boasting pizza at the front Saint Paul Street shop, Sam's Bagels, means an end to their regular breakfast or lunch order.

Despite new ownership, specialty bagel sandwich staples like the JFX (a bagel topped with chicken salad, bacon, and Swiss cheese), the Hopkins (a bagel sandwich consisting of turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, and ranch dressing), and the Quatro Queso (four cheeses melted on a bagel) remain. They simply share menu space at Sam's with specialty pizzas and an assortment of other food items aimed at drawing a crowd to the shop later in the day.

Ellicott City resident John Chung, a local restaurateur formerly in the pizza business, purchased the Charles Village Sam's from Kayla Park, whose father owns the CC Carryout next door to Sam's, about two months ago. The bagel shop is one of six in the local chain started in 1992 by Allan and Carol Gallant and named for their son Sam. Under Chung's direction the Charles Village store has extended its hours beyond mid-afternoon to 9 p.m. during the week and 10 p.m. on Saturday.

Chung had originally planned to close on Sundays, but after neighbors complained that Sunday was "Bagel Day," he elected to keep the store open. To accommodate pizza sales, a delivery service in the immediate neighborhood has also been added.

Chung's daughter Anne, acting as a spokeswoman for her Korean-speaking father, said these major menu and scheduling changes not only just made sense, but helped to make good on the store's green awning's promise of gourmet pizza. "Maybe at some point they had it," she said, noting that the awning is left over from past owners. "This owner has experience," she said of her father, "so why not add it?"

Like each of the local shops baring the Sam's name (and the Lou's Bagels shop on York Road, which is ironically run by Sam Gallant, the shop's namesake) the Charles Village business sells original-recipe Sam's bagels that are purchased from Sam's Bagels Incorporated.

Anne feels the shop's original owners have been in favor of her family's additions. "If the business does well, we'll order more bagels," she said.

In addition to pizza and more standard deli fare including wraps, croissants, soups and salads, Sam's has upgraded its coffee selection and also added desserts to its menu. Store owners consider the new sub and deli items the most successful new additions, but suspect that the pizza will eventually catch on. "Pizza slices have been pretty popular," Anne said.

Overall changes that have been made, according to Anne, give the bagel shop a homier atmosphere. A new deli case filled with pre-made sandwiches, yogurt and slices of cake rests beside the case that displays the store's plethora of bagel varieties. Along the right side of the store, more sophisticated coffee machines rest on a beverage counter. The increased variety however, is what Anne thinks appeals the most to customers. "If you go home and there's more to eat, you feel more warmth and coziness inside," she said.

Though she was not familiar with the Sam's chain before her family purchased the business, Anne has begun to sample the old and new menu items. Her favorite so far is chicken salad on a bagel. "I had never had it," she said. "I tried it and it was really good."

Sam's staff has bulked up along with its menu and its hours. Existing staff members were retained and the Chungs have hired several more individuals, nearly tripling the store's work force.

According to Anne, the additional staff was necessary so that her family could also devote attention to the nondenominational church where her mother Jung serves as a pastor.

In addition to expertise in pizza and in business, John Chung also holds a PhD. in theology. "We are a devoted Christian family," Chung said, noting that the family business is essential because much of their church work is unpaid. "We support ourselves while we support the church."

As for Anne's future, she's willing to help out at the family business as she does now about once a week, but she's working hard toward a different career. The recent University of Maryland graduate is currently involved in the medical school admissions process.

Fresh from a MCAT session at the Princeton Review offices held in the same building as her family's new business, she comments on the coincidence that her family's newest step is so conveniently located near the next step in her own career path. "I guess I'm meant to be a doctor now," she said.

The Chung family hopes that their future with Sam's Bagels in Charles Village will hold just as much good fortune.