Friday December 2023 Issue 1

The Dough on
Mr. J’s
Newsletter

In This Issue -
• Mr. J’s: A Taste of
Home Away From
Home (p. 1-2)
• From New York-
Style Bagels to the
Official Breakfast of
JMU (p. 2, column)
• Holiday News (p. 3)
• Fall Flashback (p. 3)

Mr. J’s Bagels and Deli East Market St, Harrisonburg, Va. Location. About Mr. J’s

Mr. J’s: A Taste of Home Mr. J’s Bagels and Deli is a

Harrisonburg local eatery

Away From Home

A Spotlight Story
-------------- GEORGIA CUTRELL
HARRISONBURG, VA—In the heart of
Harrisonburg, Mr. J’s Bagel and Deli has
become more than a local bagel shop; it’s a
taste of home for many James Madison
University (JMU) students. This was certainly
the case for Taylor Goldstein, a JMU alumni, as
she found comfort in Mr. J’s as a homesick
freshman four years ago.
When Goldstein came to JMU in Aug.
2019, she found it difficult to adjust to being in
a new environment, as many first-year students
do. Moving away from the home she grew up
in, she had to create new routines in an
unfamiliar place. Despite the distance from her
hometown friends and the demands of
university classes, the one thing she longed for
most from home was having breakfast with her
mother every weekend.
However, she soon discovered a place
that would help ease this transition: Mr. J’s
Bagel and Deli. The eatery quickly became her
go-to and transformed into a new weekend
tradition for her. The ambiance of Mr. J’s,
being filled with new faces every weekend and
decked out in JMU spirit, aided Goldstein in
feeling more
owned by Angela Dean.
The restaurant opened in
1990 and now has four
locations in the
Shenandoah Valley area.
Mr. J’s offers freshly baked
connected to her new home while also bagels and pastries with a
making her feel like she could still carry
on her weekend tradition, even if it variety of choices from
wasn’t the usual spot with her mother. breakfast to lunch. More
“It felt like a place that was truly information on Mr. J’s can
proud to be a part of JMU’s community,”
Goldstein explained, “it kind of helped
be found at our website:
me feel more connected to this place…we https://www.mrjsbagels.co
were all in the same boat, and we all m/.
chose to make Harrisonburg our new
home!”
Mr. J’s became a cornerstone to
her JMU experience, an essential part of
her weekend routine. Even as she grew
increasingly more comfortable as a
resident of Harrisonburg, the tradition
never faded off. During Goldstein’s third
year, she lived with four other girls, of
whom she introduced this tradition.
“Mr. J’s wasn’t just about
going to get breakfast, it became part
of our house routine. We would go
and sit there, and just talk and laugh
about
Continued on Page 2

everything that happened during our week,”
Goldstein recounted. “I noticed that everyone
else there was doing the same thing, it really
just made you think about how close of a
community we really were.”
Goldstein’s fellow alumni and former
roommate, Maddie Edwards, also grew fond of
the local establishment through their weekend
visits. The friendly atmosphere of Mr. J’s in
combination with Edwards’ favorite bagel
sandwich, kept her wanting to go back every
week. Through their visits, Mr. J’s had become
more than just a place to eat, but a capsule of
cherished memories. “When I think of my years
at JMU, it’s impossible for Mr. J’s to not pop
up in my mind,” Edwards explained.
Through the roommate's years at JMU,
their love for Mr. J’s never faded away. For
Goldstein, it was a place that made her feel at
home, even after her graduation, when she
could no longer call JMU her home. When she
returned for homecoming weekend at JMU in
Oct. 2023, she knew that her first stop had to be
Mr. J’s. Along with her former roommates, who
also visited for the weekend, Goldstein
continued her tradition of weekends at Mr. J’s
for one last time: “I got a little too emotional
going back, I just made some of the best
memories there.”
Goldstein and her former roommates
weren’t the only ones who felt the nostalgia that
is Mr. J’s. Throughout homecoming weekend,
the local eatery experienced a spike in sales,
with alumni of all ages stopping by to reminisce
and enjoy a fresh, delicious bagel. Mr. J’s
employees felt the love from alumni that
weekend, as one exclaimed “I was working in
the back and let me tell you, we were so busy!”
Mr. J’s success over homecoming weekend was
not just a testament to their excellent bagels, but
also speaks volumes to the deep connections
that alumni, like Goldstein, have with the
establishment.
Edwards, Annie Ellis, Bayley Storrier and
Sophia Stavropoulos) rejoicing during
Sausage, egg, and cheese on jalapeño-cheddar
bagel, served with home fries
Taylor Goldstein’s story is a
testament to the power that a small
business has in transforming an
individual’s experience in a new place.
While their bagels are fresh and tasty, it
isn’t just the food that people keep
coming back for. Students from near and
wide can attest that this shop creates a
sense of belonging and comfort. No
matter where you come from, Taylor
Goldstein has shown that Mr. J’s curates
a sense of community, making just about
anyone feel at home there. It is not just a
place to grab some food, it’s a place
where memories are made and cherished
for a lifetime
Mr. J’s Bagel and Deli was
founded by Joey and Dave Jerlinski, who
came to Harrisonburg to visit their cousin.
While visiting, they found the need for
New York-style bagels in the small town.
Since its opening in 1990, the eatery has
truly become a staple in the community,
especially for JMU students. The shop’s
close ties with the JMU community have
made breakfast at Mr. J’s a tradition for
every student to enjoy.
Goldstein and roommates (Maddie
homecoming weekend at JMU.
Fresh assortment of Mr. J’s bagels
From New York-Style
Bagels to the Official
Breakfast of JMU
Founded in 1990, Mr. J’s
Bagel and Deli has been in
Harrisonburg for over 30 years and
has come a long way since its
opening, now being named the
official breakfast of James Madison
University (JMU).
The eatery got its start from
the Jerlinsky brothers, Joey and
Dave, who came to Harrisonburg to
visit their cousin. The two were
always asked to bring New York
bagels down with them and they
soon realized a need for this style of
bagels in the valley.
Since then, the Jerlinsky
family started the small chain,
opening three locations around the
Harrisonburg area. As of Feb. 2022,
the Mr. J’s franchise now has four
locations, with their newest in
Elkton, VA. As they continued to
grow, so did their menu.
Now, the eatery has an
extensive menu of bagel and cream
cheese flavors, including seasonal
specials, along with deli sandwiches
and sides.
Fun Fact about Mr. J’s:
Mr. J’s is the
Official Breakfast
of JMU
2
 December, 2023

Holiday News
The Season of Giving for Mr. J’s
-------------- GEORGIA CUTRELL

HARRISONBURG, VA – Dec. 8, 2023.
The holiday season has arrived and Mr. J’s
Bagels and Deli has the perfect way to get
the season started: holiday bagel and cream
cheese flavors! With the successful launch
of the fall seasonal flavors, Mr. J’s is
excited to share its new winter options with
the Harrisonburg community. To make this
offer even sweeter, the local bagel shop is
now also offering catering services and gift
cards.
Available now through January,
anyone can go to their closest Mr. J’s and
indulge in one of the new, holiday bagel
flavors. The special creations include
gingerbread and orange-cranberry bagels
along with lemon-ginger and orange-
cranberry-walnut cream cheeses. You can
enjoy these limited-time flavors on their
own, or mix and match for the ultimate
holiday treat.
The new flavor options are getting
everyone excited and in the holiday spirit,
especially the Mr. J’s family. “The
holidays are my favorite time to be
working”, an employee of Mr. J’s
explained. “The Orange-cranberry bagel
with lemon-ginger cream cheese is my
personal favorite combination because it
tastes like Christmas but is also refreshing,
everyone should come in and give it a try”,
she exclaimed.
Owner of Mr. J’s, Angela (Angie)
Dean, is especially excited for this holiday
season as the Elkton community will get to
try these new options for the first time. The
new location, Mr. J’s Elkton Express,
opened in Feb. 2022 and has not previously
experienced the holiday flavors of Mr. J’s.
The new expansion has had a successful
year and is ready for everyone to come in
and try all Mr. J’s has to offer this winter.
The holiday flavors aren’t the only
thing Mr. J’s is gifting this season. The
eatery is also offering catering services,
perfect for any holiday party or family
gathering. The services are customizable to
your needs, whether you are looking to
feed 10 people, or over 30. Choose from
their extensive catering menu, consisting of
lunch and breakfast party bagels,
assortment trays, assorted breakfast trays,
hot entree trays, and Mr. J’s homemade
salads. While catering is offered all year
round, the holidays are the perfect time to
take advantage of this opportunity.
Mr. J’s Bagels and Deli also has
the perfect holiday gift for your loved ones.
The eatery is offering gift cards available
for purchase in-store or online. Gift cards
are the perfect gift for bagel lovers, family
members, and friends, and are great as
stocking stuffers. The holidays are the
season of giving back to those you love,
and what better way to do so than giving
them the gift of Mr. J’s!
This holiday season, Mr. J’s has
you covered. Whether you need a taste of
the holidays, have a gathering that needs
catering, or simply need the perfect gift
idea for someone you know, Mr. J’s Bagels
and Deli is your one-stop shop.
Harrisonburg and Elkton’s favorite local
bagel shop is ready for the holiday season
and cannot wait to share all they have to
offer with their loyal customers.

Fall Flashback
Fall was the Season of Celebration for Mr. J’s
-------------- GEORGIA CUTRELL
HARRISONBURG, VA – Sept. 27, 2023. Mr. J’s Bagels her gratitude with the local community for tuning in and sharing the
and Deli has a lot to celebrate this month! With September coming to great news.
a close, Harrisonburg’s favorite local bagel shop has some new The enduring relationship between Mr. J’s and JMU has
seasonal flavors just in time for Fall and the start of family weekend cultivated an atmosphere of shared excitement among the staff. As
at James Madison University (JMU). Additionally, this fall brings us Parents’ Weekend approaches, the team is gearing up for a flurry of
closer to a significant milestone for Mr. J’s – the anniversary of its activity, ready to welcome the families of the beloved Dukes. Paige,
Elkton, VA location, which has been delighting locals with its an enthusiastic employee of Mr. J’s, proudly shared, “We bleed
unique charm since its grand opening. purple and gold, and we could not be more excited to see everyone’s
With parents’ weekend coming up this Friday, Sept. 29, the families.” With the event just around the corner, the local eatery has
Mr. J’s family could not think of a better welcome for Duke families already initiated preparations for the bustling weekend, proudly
than everyone’s favorite, fall flavors. Their new seasonal specials showcasing the pumpkin and apple-cinnamon flavors. Paige
include pumpkin and apple cinnamon bagels, as well as caramel- emphasized, “Our fall flavors are here, and we hope everyone loves
apple and pumpkin pie cream cheeses. The new seasonal options are them just as much as we do.”
the perfect way to fill up families over the exciting weekend, and the In essence, Mr. J’s Bagels and Deli isn’t just a local eatery;
best way to warm everyone up just in time for the cool, fall weather. it’s a cornerstone of the community, a place where flavors blend with
Since their debut on Sept. 18, these seasonal delights have been memories, and where every bite is a celebration of the season. As the
flying off the shelves in all Mr. J’s locations and are available for a autumn leaves fall and families gather, Mr. J’s invites everyone to
limited time. join in the festivities, one delicious bite at a time.
Since the opening of Mr. J’s back in 1990, the local shop has
kept close ties with the JMU community, being a popular breakfast
and lunch spot for students and locals. Due to its close proximity to
campus, the shop has become the ‘go-to’ spot for quick bites, study
sessions, and social gatherings for students and faculty alike.
Additionally, with continued support from those in Harrisonburg,
Mr. J’s has since expanded to four locations with its newest edition
coming up on its anniversary this winter. Located in Elkton, VA, Mr.
J’s Elkton Express is the first Mr. J’s franchise expansion in 20
years. Owner of Mr. J’s, Angela Dean, first announced the new
expansion in Sept. 2022. After making the announcement, she shared

Mr. J’s Pumpkin and Apple Cinnamon Bagels

3
 December, 2023

Keep In Touch:
East Market St. South High St. Virginia Ave. Shenandoah Ave.
Phone: Phone: Phone: Phone:
540-564-0416 540-432-1386 540-442-1997 540-713-8759

Mr. J’s Bagels and Deli

1635 E. Market Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22801