The shop that invented the rainbow bagel has closed

By Brooklyn Magazine Staff

Your Instagram feed is about to become a little less colorful: The Bagel Store, the Brooklyn-based shop that created the infamous rainbow bagel, has closed.

“Thank you all for loving us all these years,” the shop’s Instagram bio said. “Due to health concerns, we will be closed.” News of the closure was first broken by Brooklyn Bagel Blog writer Sam Silverman, which said the rainbow bagels “have made an indelible impact on the bagel industry.”

The Bagel Store was owned by self-proclaimed “World Premier Bagel Artist” Scot Rossillo. His invention became an overnight viral sensation in 2015, sparking long lines, national attention and even some controversy for the colorful concoction. It became so popular that Rossillo trademarked the “Rainbow Bagel” term.

Originally opened in Williamsburg in 2000, the shop landed in trouble in 2019 when it was seized by the state for owing a balance of nearly $900,000 in unpaid taxes. Rossillo said at the time was lease was ending anyway, and he relocated the shop to Park Slope in 2020.

The last Instagram picture posted on its main feed went up three weeks ago, announcing the shop would be open for Easter. Since then, the post is filling up with comments asking if the store was open. It has since been marked as “permanently closed” on Google Maps and Yelp.