From Bagelstein’s to Catering by Larry, he’s been part of generations of Jewish celebrations

By Michael Sudhalter

The year 2026 has been full of personal and professional milestones for Dallas resident Larry Goldstein, who founded Bagelstein’s in 1976 and later launched Catering by Larry.

Goldstein and his wife, Susan, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in January. The couple moved to Dallas on July 1, 1976, and Goldstein opened Bagelstein’s on Sept. 7, 1976. On June 1, he celebrated 25 years with Catering by Larry.

Through it all, it’s been a wonderful experience for the 77-year-old Detroit native, who is the father of daughter Jori, son Justin and grandfather of five.

“One day, I’m making boxed lunches, and the next day, I’m making a beef tenderloin dinner,” Goldstein said. “We do weddings, and we have a full staff of bartenders and servers. There have been struggles as well. In 2001, I had just started the catering company. Parties got canceled because of September 11. I lived through COVID and that hurt also. Right now, it’s going better than ever.”

Goldstein has had a special place in his heart for the Texas Jewish Post ever since he was preparing to open Bagelstein’s and was visited by Eli Davidsohn z”l, then-TJP sales representative. Davidsohn ended up staying in the soon-to-open store and helping Goldstein prepare for four hours.

Goldstein caters bar mitzvahs, High Holy Days and all types of special events. Some of his career highlights include serving President Bill Clinton during a Dallas visit in the 1990s and providing food for ABC Sports when the Dallas Cowboys played on “Monday Night Football.” He’s a former president of the Dallas Restaurant Association.

“Dallas has been very good to us, and we’ve enjoyed it,” Goldstein said. “We’ve enjoyed raising our kids here and living in the same house for 48 years. We’ve made a lot of friends, and friends are very important.”

The love of deli food and bagels started in Goldstein’s high school days.

“My next-door neighbor owned the largest deli in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park — he looked at me like a son because he didn’t have any kids,” Goldstein said.

After studying hotel and restaurant management at a community college in the Detroit area, Goldstein opened his first restaurant, a hot dog spot, at age 21, in 1970.

By the mid-1970s, he was working for Barry Greenblatt, the owner of the Barry’s Bagels chain, in Toledo, Ohio.

“I didn’t know how to make a bagel, and Barry didn’t know that much about running a deli,” Goldstein said. “So, we taught each other. I made a great bagel here in Dallas, with a hard crust. Everyone loved it. At first, I tried to make the same bagel I made in Toledo, but it didn’t taste the same because the water was different. I had to make adjustments to make it taste better.”

Goldstein wanted to own a bagel shop/deli and found an opportunity in the former location of Leibowitz’s Bagels. He described it as a “Jewish McDonald’s” where customers would order at the counter.

It did great business (1,200–1,500 dozen bagels on weekends), and he would work seven days a week until he sold Bagelstein’s in 1998. He would bake 1,500 challahs for Rosh Hashanah each year. Over its 22 years, Goldstein quadrupled Bagelstein’s from 2,500 square feet to 10,000 square feet.

“I enjoyed the restaurant because so many people knew me,” Goldstein said. “I go to shivas now and so many people say, ‘We miss Bagelstein’s.’ I like the catering because it’s something different every day, and I have a great staff. I arrive at 5 a.m. every morning and work 15- to 16-hour days. I’ll continue to do it as long as my health will allow.”

Between the sale of Bagelstein’s and the launch of Catering by Larry, Goldstein returned to Toledo to work for his old friend Greenblatt, who by that time had expanded significantly.

Some of Goldstein’s most popular items are kugel as well as a super-duper, five-layer sandwich consisting of corned beef, pastrami, salami, turkey, Swiss cheese and a special sauce he created.

Because of his busy work schedule, Goldstein hasn’t traveled to Israel yet, but he hopes to go at some point.

“I’m very proud to be Jewish,” Goldstein said. “I don’t hold it back. I wear a chai around my neck — people see it, I let them know.”