Harlem Bagel Shop Removes Artwork After Backlash Over Design Concerns

A Harlem bagel shop has removed an outdoor artwork after community backlash and social media concerns over whether it depicted blackface or an appropriation of Black culture, News 4 reported. The dispute at Bo’s Bagels on West 116th Street centers on a painted cutout of a smiling character dubbed the bagel guy, which triggered an online debate over whether the artwork resembled blackface.

Social Media Backlash Targets Harlem Storefront Mascot

Content creator Anastasia X first questioned the display in a video shared online, telling News 4 that she saw it as a big old bagel and could see why some people had an issue with it. Dozens of commenters responded to the post to echo those concerns, arguing that the design crossed a line into cultural appropriation. The digital fallout quickly spilled offline, leading the business owners to take down the sign.

Owners and Artist Defend Intentions Behind the Design

Co-owner Ashley Dikos, who has operated Bo’s Bagels for nearly a decade alongside her husband, defended the display as an expression of neighborhood pride rather than a caricature. That art to me was celebratory, positive, Dikos said, as quoted by NBC New York. He’s smiling, it’s a bagel, it’s a cartoon. It just wasn’t ever supposed to be controversial.

Tom Sanford, the artist who created the design, also defended the work. Sanford’s previous public art includes cutouts of New York Knicks players displayed near City Hall. I did not intend it to be necessarily African American, but I did want it to be of Harlem, Sanford told NBC New York. He added that he views Harlem’s status as a cradle of hip-hop culture as an entirely positive influence on his work.

Neighborhood Division and Employee Safety Concerns

Reactions among neighborhood residents remained mixed following the removal of the sign. One pedestrian told NBC New York that different people are definitely going to feel different about seeing that type of imagery. Anastasia X noted that while she believes more proactive community engagement is needed from ownership, she does not support the harassment directed at workers.

In the wake of the viral post, Dikos reported that store employees have faced direct threats and harassment. Reflecting on the toll of the dispute, Dikos told NBC New York that being a business owner is not for the faint of heart.