"Once upon a time"

I’m Elliot Fread, founder and owner of Bimmy’s – Food made with Love

People always ask me, “Why does your food taste so good?” When I tell them the secret ingredient is Love, they look at me a little funny. Then I explain that we use the freshest, best quality ingredients, craft our food with care, and provide service from the heart.

During the most influential time of my life, I volunteered to serve and help Native Americans. During that time, I learned wonderful Life teachings from the Native American Culture. “Its simple” -- they would say -- “take care of the Earth we live on, treat people the way you want to be treated, leave the space you’re visiting better than the way you found it, and be grateful.” It is from these teachings that Bimmy’s business philosophy was created.

When I tell people creating fabulous food is in my genes, I mean it! I’m a third generation chef/ entrepreneur in the food business. My Grandpa was one of the first celebrity chefs in Canada. In 1953, he hosted a television cooking show called, “Hans in the Kitchen” A career in food was always in my future. When I was 10 years old in Brooklyn, my father taught me how to make crepes. Soon I was earning extra money flipping crepes at neighborhood parties.

In later years, my crepe expertise evolved into a rolled sandwich that I called a “Bimmy” -- the first wrap on the New York scene. Following my entrepreneurial drive, I opened my first Bimmy’s in the West Village. Due to the company’s success, Bimmy’s moved to a bigger and better space in Chelsea, and eventually to our current home in Long Island City, where we built a custom 13,000 square foot kitchen to produce our famous premium sandwiches, wraps, salads, ready-to-eat meals, pastas, couscous, specialty desserts and healthy choices.

Where did the name Bimmy come from? As a teenager holding down a summer job at a well known Catskills resort, the manager continually called out to the staff, “Hey Bimmy, go get this. Hey Bimmy, go get that” – which we did, grateful for a paying job. From that point on, the name Bimmy stuck! All of our customers and the folks in the neighborhood still affectionately call me “Mr. Bimmy”.

And food critics still tell us “It’s the best wrap around”! Enjoy!