First impressions last a lifetime.
Case in point, I have only been to Hot Bagels and Deli one time. I was wanting, no CRAVING, a toasted bagel with cream cheese to the point of despair. I've been to another bagel shop up off the I-17 with a very similar name (wonder if it's the same owners??) but the results were quite different.
Here's the "first impressions" that were... well... impressed on me:
1) only 1 person in the shop on a Saturday morning. Weird. Places like this are usually busy.
2) difficult to read menu. I didn't want to order a difficult bagel. HA.
3) cashier/cook/manager? didn't really "greet" me as a customer. Was more like "What do you want?" Would you like a side of smile this morning? Good grief, I'm not a happy person but honestly...
4) the bagel was EGGY. I don't know how else to explain it. It literally tasted of eggs and was very chewy. I appreciate a nice chew to my bagel but the eggy-ness of this one disappointed my tastebuds and left me wishing I'd gone to Starbucks.
Too bad, really. I love a good bagel shop and might give this one another try. But as the adage goes, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice... wait, how does this go, George W.? ;)