Bethenny Frankel sold a $43 caviar bagel called the 'Nepo Baby' at her Supermodel Café in the Hamptons, then made clear that price complaints were not spoiling the experiment. In an interview published Wednesday, 9 September, the former The Real Housewives of New York City star and Skinnygirl founder called the response to the sandwich 'polarising' and said customers who thought it was too expensive could simply skip it.
The sandwich was one of the most talked-about items at Frankel's cafe pop-up in East Quogue, New York, which opened on 13 August and closed on Monday, 7 September. Served on a salt bagel with caviar spread, tomato, pickled red onion and a caviar topping, the $43 order became a flashpoint on a menu already filled with deliberately self-aware names such as Rage Bait.
Frankel did not treat every complaint the same way. She said honest customer criticism could function as research and development, and she removed a miso tahini offering after negative feedback. At the same time, she leaned into the louder online conversation, later saying, 'I'm open to criticism. Hate is okay.'
Why the Bagel Was Called 'Nepo Baby'
Bethenny Frankel and her daughter, Brynn pic.twitter.com/HqCPN7hlAX
— Bye Wig Hello Drama (@HousewivesHub) November 17, 2025
The name was tied to Frankel's sixteen-year-old daughter, Bryn, rather than being a random reference to celebrity children. Frankel has described the label as an inside joke and had already joked publicly about Bryn having a 'nepo baby summer' while stressing that the teenager works and takes her responsibilities seriously.
Bryn has a fashion and retail job that Frankel said is separate from her own businesses. That context makes the menu name more specific than the wider celebrity nepo baby debate: Frankel turned a family joke into one of the cafe's most expensive items. Adding caviar and a luxury price point gave the sandwich another reason to travel online.
Frankel Says the Price Is a Choice
Bethenny Frankel: “$43.00 nepo baby [bagel] with a dollop of caviar. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it.”
— Bye Wig Hello Drama (@HousewivesHub) August 19, 2026
Bethenny is talking about menu items from her supermodel cafe pic.twitter.com/j7bQdLDH5Y
When the price came up during the September interview, Frankel did not suggest the Nepo Baby was supposed to be affordable for everyone. 'That's been polarising,' she said before comparing the purchase with an Hermès bag and arguing that people who could not afford it did not have to buy it.
Other complaints focused on the size and style of the food. Frankel defended the smaller bagels as part of the Supermodel concept, which grew from her social media 'supermodel snack' videos and emphasised lighter takes on foods including bagels, chicken salad and cheesecake. The cafe itself was conceived as a temporary test rather than a permanent Hamptons restaurant.
Supermodel Café Became a Real-Life Test
That experimental framing continued through the closing weekend. When the East Quogue location announced it would shut after Monday, 7 September, the cafe described the pop-up as a 'real-life focus group' created to 'test, listen and learn'. Its run lasted less than one month but drew crowds on opening day and generated a steady stream of online reviews.
Frankel has said the concept could continue beyond East Quogue. She described the pop up as an R&D test case and has discussed possible future versions in Florida and New York. For now, the Nepo Baby remains one of the clearest examples of the experiment: a family joke turned into a luxury bagel, paired with a price Frankel knew people would debate.
