Having started as an employee for Brooklyn Cafe at the age of 15, owner Selene Morin said she decided to buy the company from founder Nick Cannistra when he retired in 2018.

The cafe was founded in 1994 and is known for its bagels and coffee in The Woodlands community.

“The whole concept of Brooklyn is something that once you start working there, you really fall in love with,” Morin said. “It's a very family-oriented place and you really get to know your customers, like on a one-to-one basis.”

Staying local

Brooklyn Cafe is owned and operated by Morin, a resident of The Woodlands, along with co-owners Mauricio Domenzain and Graham Smyth.


While the bagel recipes the cafe is known for have remained a traditional staple for the cafe, Morin said she has updated the concep to provide a setting focused on comfort rather than a fast-paced environment.
Assistant Manager Keila Maynard serves a customer a cup of coffee. (Courtesy Brooklyn Cafe)
Assistant Manager Keila Maynard serves a customer a cup of coffee. (Courtesy Brooklyn Cafe)
“Nick used to joke about how he would bring over the water from New York to make sure that the bagels tasted right,” Morin said. “But we do take a lot of time into making sure that the recipes stay the way that he had them.”

After years of operating, Brooklyn Cafe has transitioned to follow current cafe trends by offering seasonal drinks and a variety of milk options including non-dairy. It also offers coffee with CBD to balance the coffee jitters people can get with coffee, Morin said.

In addition, Brooklyn Cafe expanded with a second location on Creekside Forest Drive late this year.
Brooklyn Cafe offers a bagel of the month including its pumpkin bagel. (Courtesy Brooklyn Cafe)
Brooklyn Cafe offers a bagel of the month including its pumpkin bagel. (Courtesy Brooklyn Cafe)
Craving bagels?

With 22 bagel varieties, Morin said the bagels and menu items at Brooklyn Cafe are freshly made every morning with ingredients from local vendors. Any leftovers are donated to local churches and food banks such as Woods Edge Church, Congregation Beth Shalom and the Houston Food Bank.


Some popular bagel varieties include the blueberry and the pumpkin bagels; however, the cafe is known for its bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, which is made with an everything bagel.

“I think it's the combination of the soft, crunchy bagel, but with the bacon and the cheese and the egg, it just makes it really, really good,” Morin said. “We also cook everything on our flat top.”

The eatery also offers a bagel of the month and classic coffee options along with signature and seasonal drinks. Upcoming seasonal drinks include the Irish cream latte and the gingerbread spiced latte.