Jeff Smith has lived in Moscow for only about 18 months, but he's been a fan of the city for a number of years. When he decided to make the move to Moscow, he came out with the intent of opening a bagel shop. "It made sense to do both, but I was going to move here regardless," Smith said. Smith has been spending a good part of his time in Moscow preparing to open the business - finding the right spot, doing the market research, jumping through the right bureaucratic hoops, lining up vendors and putting it all together. Smith, 33, was in the last stages of preparation this week before he opens Moscow Bagel & Deli on Tuesday on the 300 block of South Main Street in the space formerly occupied by Now & Then. The business is patterned after a bagel shop he managed for several years in Oxford, Ohio, a college town similar to Moscow, he said. For some, Smith's methods may require a little customer education. The bagels will be steamed instead of toasted. "The bagel is very good - not soggy," he said. "Steaming gives it a crunchy outside, leaves the inside chewy and infuses the bagel with flavor from the filling." To tempt the palate, Smith offers 80 kinds of sandwiches on 13 bagel varieties as well as a selection of spreads and cheeses like Swiss, American, Havarti and smoked gouda. He'll go with what he knows works well for other deli items like dill pickles, cookies, wraps, bottled drinks, coffee and whole-leaf cold and hot tea. Beer and wine will not be available. "I'm going to test the waters and add to the menu when it's feasible," he said. Owning his own bagel business will be a departure for Smith. Most recent, he sold radiology equipment to hospitals. He was based in Baltimore and worked a four-state area. "It's a profitable business and I made a ton of money," he said. "But it was a lot of work. It was more than I wanted to do without owning my own business." This is where the Moscow connection comes in. He grew up in northeast Ohio with Dave and Rob Ting. The Ting brothers found themselves moving to Moscow where Dave is a Realtor and Robert is a physician. Smith would visit the Tings in Moscow and use the city as a base from which to go fishing, backpacking and other outdoor activities. Those infrequent trips to Idaho finally convinced him to make a permanent move. "In five years, I hope to still be in Moscow and want this place to become an institution in the community by creating a fun and energetic atmosphere," he said. The shop has seating for 30 inside and sidewalk seating for eight. Moscow Bagel & Deli, is located at 310 S. Main. Business hours are 7 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week. The business also will be open from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. For more information, call (208) 882-5242. CLARIFICATION Charles Leaphart has owned and operated Massage of Moscow for 20 years. Incorrect information was included about the business' name in Biz Bits last week. Massage of Moscow is located at 510 E. Third St. in Moscow. Business hours are 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Sessions are scheduled by appointment only. Call (208) 882-5642. FINAL THOUGHT Last week's Final Thought dealt with two television commercials I find grating not only in content but in the frequency they are aired. I was reminded repeatedly in the past few days that I left an ad campaign off the list. Subway hired Jon Lovitz of "Saturday Night Live" to pitch a new line of toasted sandwiches. Subway executives made a huge mistake when they approved the series of ads with Lovitz. The ads are horrible. There's nothing worse than the nasally, whiny voice Lovitz uses in everything he does. It makes me want to go out and get a Whopper. The executives at Subway should bring back the Jerod campaign full time. n In case you didn't notice, regular gasoline prices went over the $3 mark last week. The deadline for submissions to Biz Bits is 5 p.m. Wednesday. Call Murf Raquet at (208) 882-5561, ext. 232, write to 409 S. Jackson St., Moscow, ID 83843 or e-mail to murf@dnews.com.
