The Spot in Norwood All About Real Food

Perry Makarios has had a long road from New York to Norwood, but he said it’s been worth it.

“We work very hard to give the best product we can do,” he said.

Makarios said he learned how to make bagels at a shop in Manhattan years and years ago.

“When I first got out of high school, I realized college wasn’t something I wanted to do,” he said. “I went to Manhattan and worked in a bagel shop there, H&H Bagels. They were always extremely busy.”

He said the owners there were union bakers and taught him everything he knows, but not necessarily everything they knew.

“They teach you everything so they still have something,” he said with a laugh. “But they’re old school guys and had old school recipes.”

Makarios said he moved to the New England area and opened a few other bagel shops in the 1990s, but saw the tide turning and decided to sell them for The Spot, which at the time was a convenience store.

“I saw the low carb diet sensation coming in the late 90s and had an opportunity to sell and I did,” he said. “I had a noncompete order in the business for some time, but it’s been up for a while now.”

Makarios said he started making the bagels at the spot about three years ago.

“I honestly didn’t think we’d have the space,” he said.

Makarios said they moved things around and made the space. Before they were getting customers in the door because of their unique selection of vintage candies and old-school sodas.

“we need to add something else to really draw in a lot more people,” he said. “I had a bagel background and I wanted to get myself through a tough economy.  We moved some shelves and we made it work.”

They still carry the old sodas and candies, and Makarios said there’s no selection like it in the area.

“We have a lot of old fashioned sodas form the 20s,” he said. “We also have a classic soda machine and all the sodas are real sugarcane. You can also make your own six pack.”

Makarios said it was this initiative of natural foods and items that drove his style of making the food.

“Everything’s made in house,” he said. “We make our own cream cheeses, the bacon comes out from a local farm, we squeeze our own orange juice, we make our own peanut butter, almond butter and we make our own dark chocolate peanut butter. It’s probably why I never leave. It’s a tough economy though and if you’re not creative you’re not going to last. You have to put your heart and soul into it and some people aren’t willing to do that.”

He added he’s looking to start making his own bread as well, with seven different types for sandwiches or loaves..

Makarios said his staff are the driving force behind the store’s success and are as much a part of it as he is.

“If you’re an owner, you’re just another employee of the business,” he said. “You do what’s best for the business. Some owners are thick-headed and they won’t take feedback, from either their employees or the customers for that matter. I mean you can’t listen to all of them but you have to try.”

Makarios said the store donates to any local charity that comes in.

“We usually try to give gift cards for raffles and fundraisers and that kind of thing,” he said. “We made a few hundred bagels for the St. Catherine School’s 5K before the race. We like to stay in touch with the local stuff.”

The Spot is located on 20 Broadway and is open Monday-Saturday 7 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.