I founded IV Bagel Café when I was 21 and since then IV has had a special place in my heart. I lived in I.V. for many years before moving to Santa Barbara and then Chicago, and I got to meet tens of thousands of incredible people while working there. The goal of opening Bagel Café was to bring a taste of authentic New York Bagels to the area while honoring the surfer vibe as you can tell by the names of our sandwiches. Over the years we won many awards including best breakfast in college towns.

Recently, I noticed that another New York influenced restaurant was leaving IV after 10 years (Pizza My Heart or PMH). I felt compelled to buy the business and keep another taste of New York in IV. Both Bagel Café and Pizza My Heart have another similarity in that both businesses choose to value quality and fresh ingredients over cost, which is extremely difficult during these inflationary times. I was able to purchase the equipment, all the recipes, and hire the PMH manager and supervisor, but we are building our own brand like IV Bagel Café. It feels so right for me, my wife Didi, my daughter Matea, and my son Itai to help preserve another quality restaurant in IV. Running a restaurant these days is very challenging, especially in IV, so we appreciate all your support over the years. The management team and my family are so excited to welcome Pizza My Heart regulars and new customers to IV PIZZA & PUB! Thanks so much for helping us keep the New York taste-surfer vibe tradition going.

To read about my personal journey in opening IV Bagel Café, click here.

Warm wishes,
Doron Friedman