The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. of Boca Raton will be supplying water in Brooklyn at Barclays Center, the new home for the NBA Nets. Needless to say, Brooklynites aren't pleased.
"There's nothing Brooklyn about this water," said Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James.
The arena will also feature a location of the Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co., which will sell bagels made on-site. The arena chose Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. over hundreds of New York shops.
Larry King, official spokesperson for the company, seems to think that water from elsewhere is as good as the real deal from the borough. In a video about Brooklyn Water Bagel Co., he cites his Brooklyn roots and says: "When I lived in Brooklyn, I always appreciated a glass of water... I never tasted water like that tasted... And of course, they have bagels. And bagels as you say, are international... To have the two combined... It's a great concept. I think it's a natural."
The water will be bottled in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and upstate New
York. It's "Brooklynized" through a 14-step process that involves
converting water back to "lab grade" and includes a mineral packet allegedly of the same makeup
as Brooklyn tap water.
Brooklyn Water Bagel launched in Delray Beach in August 2009. Since
then, the chain has expanded to Boynton Beach, South Beach, Jupiter,
and Hollywood as well as out of state, in California, North Carolina,
Georgia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. The company also features a Brooklyn Water coffee line that debuted in January.
Though the tag line is "It's All About the Water!" a franchisee
has gone to court, seeking more than $2 million in damages against the
company, claiming the filtration process is a sham.
Much has
been written to debunk the claim that a city's water is the key factor
in making the best bread. Food-science guru Harold McGee told Miami New Times, "My
feeling is that while water quality can affect dough behavior, it's
only at the extremes that it would make a practical difference. Doesn't
matter what kind of water you have; if the oven isn't hot enough or the
flour doesn't make good gluten or the dough thickness is wrong or
there's too much topping, the bagel won't be as good."
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