In a 1997 '' New York Times '' article , Eric Asimov described what he called the " informal border separating the land of fresh bagels from the frontier of the frozen assembly-line product made by Lender 's Bagels " as " the Lender 's Line . " Murray Lender appeared as a guest on '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson '' . He created green bagels for Saint Patrick 's Day , oval bagels for President Lyndon B. Johnson to be photographed eating in the Oval Office , and " bagel heads " , miniature decorated bagels , in the likeness of the world leaders attending the 9th G7 summit in 1983 . When he died at age 81 on March 21 , 2012 , the '' Washington Post '' called him " the most important man in the modern history of bagels , " adding " Lender ’s bagels may taste like white bread with a hole , but what they lack in authenticity they make up for in meaning . " In the spring of 1984 , the Lender family sold Lender 's Frozen Bagels to Kraft Foods , with the stipulation that Marvin would remain president and Murray spokesman for the next two years . Murray Lender publicized the sale in characteristic form , by holding " the marriage of the century " , with Murray and Marvin escorting a Lender ’s Bagel , " Len " , down the aisle to meet his new bride , " Phyl " , a Kraft Philadelphia brand cream cheese . In 1987 , Lender 's had three plants in West Haven , a plant in New Haven , one in Buffalo , New York , and one in Mattoon , Illinois ; the last is the site of the annual " Bagelfest " , and also the only surviving Lender 's Bagel plant in operation today . Kraft , which reportedly spent $ 12 to $ 15 million annually to advertise Lender 's bagels , sold the company to Kellogg Company in 1996 for $ 455 million . Analysts criticized Kellogg 's investment in a frozen product at a time when the popularity of fresh bagels was rising . Kellogs introduced a $ 20 million television campaign for Lender 's in Fall 1997 . In October 1999 , Kellogs sold the business to San Francisco based Aurora Foods for $ 275 million , and ceased production at the New Haven factory in March 2000 . In 2003 , Aurora was bought by Pinnacle Foods , a subsidiary of the Blackstone Group since 2007
9th G7 summit
9th G7 summit
Lender's Bagels