Brookside Bagels is more than just a breakfast stop — it’s a living piece of Simsbury’s history. The building it occupies has roots stretching back over a century and is deeply intertwined with the town’s immigrant story, entrepreneurial spirit, and community values.

Frank Zablocki, a Polish immigrant, became a foundational figure in Simsbury’s business and civic life — his story blending perseverance, community, and quiet leadership over the course of more than half a century.

In 1898, at just 19 years old, Frank arrived in Simsbury from Maly Plock, Poland, accompanied by his sister, Louise (Mrs. Louise Kozkowski). Their arrival was somewhat serendipitous — Frank later said a neighbor in Poland gave him an unwanted ticket to Simsbury, setting in motion a remarkable life. While they hoped to meet family friends, those contacts had moved away. Still, the siblings quickly found help from three respected locals: Samuel Welden of Welden Hardware, Delia Holcomb of the Maple Tree Inn, and Mrs. Hathaway, also associated with the inn.

Within just half an hour of arriving, Frank had work and a place to live. He was hired at a hotel operated by Sam Welden and later lodged at a boarding house run by Mrs. Hathaway. He also took a job at the Maple Tree Inn. This early display of generosity left a deep impression on him and shaped his gratitude for the Simsbury community.

In 1900, Frank became the first Polish employee at Ensign-Bickford, where he worked as a machinist for the next 46 years, retiring in 1946. In 1903, he returned briefly to Poland to help pay off his family’s farm mortgage and to marry Mary Ann Loskowska. The couple returned to Simsbury, where they raised eight children. Mary Ann ran the household and the store while Frank worked days at Ensign-Bickford and nights at his own growing business.

Tragically, Mary Ann died during the influenza pandemic of 1918, leaving Frank with six children to raise alone — the youngest only five months old. Their eldest daughter, Helen, left school at age 14 to take care of her younger siblings and run the household.

In 1913, Frank officially opened a dry goods and clothing store in the front room of his home on South Hopmeadow Street. For 32 years, he continued to work full-time at Ensign-Bickford while operating the store at night. As the business grew, he expanded within the same building, now home to Brookside Bagels.

Frank became a U.S. citizen in 1920, the same year he was elected a Justice of the Peace. A natural leader and proud advocate for his community, he co-founded the St. Francis Society in 1907 to support Polish immigrants and followed that in 1917 with the formation of Route 2067 of the Polish National Alliance. These organizations provided crucial financial and emotional support during tough times. Members contributed weekly dues, and a 25-cent fine was levied on anyone who missed a meeting — a reflection of both commitment and discipline.

He was active in the Polish National Alliance for 35 years, eventually receiving a gold medal for service. In 1952, Ensign-Bickford honored him with a gold watch in appreciation for his four decades of service.

Even into his 80s, Frank remained active in the store, now called F. Zablocki and Co., handling bookkeeping and helping customers. He was joined in the business by his children: John Zablocki, and Mrs. E. Helen Nesky of West Hartford. His daughter Martha was a schoolteacher at South School. Other children included Mrs. Wanda Mahoney and Mrs. Rose Winchester of Canton, and Vincent Zablocki of Boston.

Frank Zablocki’s story is one of resilience, sacrifice, and civic pride — a life defined by his unwavering commitment to family, his adopted town, and to the immigrant communities he quietly uplifted. His legacy still echoes through the building on South Hopmeadow Street, where community, hard work, and care for others remain the pillars of the business he began more than a century ago.

After Frank’s passing, ownership of the property transitioned through the Zablocki family. In 1989 the land was divided among five heirs. In July 1992, the Zablocki heirs sold the property and Brookside Bagels – named to honor the brook that runs alongside the building – was born.

For more than three decades, Brookside Bagels has remained a staple of Simsbury’s culinary scene — known for its handmade bagels (baked fresh daily using the original recipe), house-made cream cheeses, and loyal local following. The shop has seen generations of families pass through its doors, continuing the legacy that Frank Zablocki and his family began over a century ago. Today, Brookside Bagels continues to operate from the original Zablocki home – a building that has seen over a century of family, commerce, and community. Brookside serves not only as a breakfast destination but as a living tribute to Simsbury’s immigrant roots, industrial past, and the entrepreneurial spirit that built America. From Frank’s humble beginnings to today’s homemade bagels, the spirit of hard work and community lives on at 563 Hopmeadow Street.

Of course, no century-old building would be complete without a few ghost stories — and Brookside Bagels is no exception. Over the years, more than a few employees have whispered about strange happenings that hint Frank Zablocki may have never truly left the shop he built.

Some say that late at night, when the store is quiet and empty, a stack of papers will mysteriously fall in the back office — not in a scattered mess, but sheet by sheet, landing in a perfectly aligned pile on the floor. Bakers working overnight have reported items in the cooler shifting on their own, or ingredients in the baker’s corner moving from where they were carefully placed just minutes before.

And then there’s the snoring.

More than one early-morning opener swears that if you stand quietly in the store before sunrise — just as the ovens begin to warm — you can hear the soft, steady sound of snoring coming from the far corner, as though Frank himself is still asleep in the walls of the business he poured his life into.

Coincidence? Imagination? Or just Frank keeping watch?

One thing’s for sure — the spirit of Frank Zablocki is still very much a part of Brookside Bagels.