Unknown Bagel Startup + Larry King = Instant Brand Recognition
If you wondered what ubiquitous TV host Larry King would do with his spare time after departing CNN, wonder no more. King has signed on as pitchman and franchise owner for scrappy, startup eatery The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co., which has just one store in Delray Beach, Fla.
Way to go, Brooklyn! So many restaurant owners with dreams of chain success never get beyond one unit. They lack that special something, that flash, that point of difference that gets diners' attention and makes them give you a try. In connecting with Brooklyn native King, Brooklyn Water Bagel perfectly played the celebrity card and shot itself to overnight restaurant stardom.
Even better, King plans to open a Brooklyn bagel restaurant in Beverly Hills, where he'll go head to head with legendary deli to the stars Nate 'n Al, where King himself has been a longtime fixture. Additional drama that guarantees followup coverage of the Brooklyn Bagel story. It just doesn't get any better.
There's little downside to choosing King. Sure, there's the many troubled marriages, the garrulous, abrasive personality that's not for everyone. But this is one of those situations where publicity is publicity, and the celebrity endorsement is all that matters. Even if King died tomorrow -- God forbid! -- he's worked wonders for the company's visibility.
Most celebrities just sign up as a marketing shill. The fact that King plans to actually open a restaurant gives his endorsement a lot more credibility.
As it happens, Brooklyn Water Bagel has another point of difference besides signing up the famed interviewer. The company has a process for recreating the composition of Brooklyn water, allowing more authentic Brooklyn-tasting bagels to be created anywhere. Because it's about the water.
Or that's their pitch, anyway -- some diners seem unimpressed. "The secret is they use toilet water," cracked one commenter to the Deadline New York blog.
Whether the water angle wins customers over or not remains to be seen. But now that they've got King on board, it's certain more people will hear the Brooklyn Water Bagel story, and maybe taste for themselves.
Photo of King with Brooklyn Water Bagel founders Steve Fassberg and Scott Harris (l-r) courtesy of the company