Holey Moley giving away bagels, dollars during COVID-19 pandemic
ORANGE PARK – The NYC Holy Moly Bagel Shop is new to Orange Park, but they are quickly ingratiating themselves to their community. The shop is helping by giving free food to people affected by …
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Holey Moley giving away bagels, dollars during COVID-19 pandemic
ORANGE PARK – The NYC Holy Moly Bagel Shop is new to Orange Park, but they are quickly ingratiating themselves to their community. The shop is helping by giving free food to people affected by COVID-19, and they’re making donations to Navy MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation).
New York native Frank Letchus wanted to do something different.
“I’ve always been into the bagel shop scenes; always been into bagels. They don’t have good ones in Jacksonville. So I figured I’d come out here and do something,” he said.
After about two and half years living in Jacksonville, he opened Holy Moly Bagel Shop last March with no clue the pandemic would put his new endeavor on the shelf before he got it going.
People can come into the shop, order the food they want, and go about their day. And if they want, they can also make donations.
The donations gathered, along with a percentage of the take for the day (10%), go the MWR on NAS Jacksonville, where it used wherever it’s needed.
The Navy connection was set up by Letchus’ business partner, retired sailor Bryant Blackburn.
Letchus and Blackburn met when Letchus sold him a hot dog cart. The two began talking and eventually decided to go into business together.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought any early progress of the bagel shop to a screeching halt. Letchus isn’t sure how much of a hit the shop is taking, because he wasn’t open long enough beforehand to get an accurate assessment of the numbers.
“I really can’t tell because I really don’t know how the business would’ve been,” said Letchus. “I just opened. I know if it wasn’t a pandemic, I probably would be a lot busier than I am now.”
Following the stay at home orders created by COVID-19, Letchus hopes to open another location. But for now, he wants to continue his charitable ways for as long as he can.
“I’m just glad that we’re doing good for the community,” said Letchus. “I just feel like I’m helping out as much as I can. As long as people in my community are getting help and getting satisfied, that’s all that matters. That’s all I want to do.”
In the words of the late hip-hop legend, the Notorious BIG, “Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way.”
For Frank Letchus, though, it’s now the Orange Park way, and he’s going to keep spreading love through his bagels and donations.
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