SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K
                                 Current Report



Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.



Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)                    May 23, 1996
                                                                    ------------


                         Manhattan Bagel Company, Inc.
              (Exact Name of Company as Specified in its Charter)



         New Jersey                      0-24388                22-2981539
         ----------                      -------                ----------
(State or other jurisdiction of     (Commission File           (IRS Employer
incorporation or                         Number)          Identification Number)
organization)



246 Industrial Way West, Eatontown, New Jersey                           07724
- ----------------------------------------------                           -----
(Address of principal executive office)                               (Zip Code)



Company's telephone number, including area code                   (908) 544-0155





                                       N/A
                                       ---
          Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 





ITEM 1. Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

     The closing of the  transactions  contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of
Merger  dated  as of May  22,  1996  (the  "Merger  Agreement")  by and  between
Manhattan  Bagel  Company,   Inc.  (the   "Company"),   SBI  Acquisition   Corp.
("Acquisition"),  and Specialty  Bakeries,  Inc. ("SBI"),  and Rocco Fiorentino,
John  Gerber and Frank  Guglielmo  took place on May 23,  1996.  Pursuant to the
terms of the Agreement,  Acquisition, a newly created wholly-owned subsidiary of
the Company,  was merged with and into SBI and 132,500 shares of common stock of
the Company were issued to the  shareholders  of SBI. Under the Merger 
Agreement, the number of the shares was to be determined based on a closing date
balance sheet.  The parties agreed to waive the closing balance sheet require-
ment and to fix the number of shares to be issued.

         SBI was a private  company  which  owned and  franchised  a total of 23
bagel bakery stores in the Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia  areas operating
under the name Bagel Builders.

     The former principals of SBI will remain employees of the Company in
various capacities.

     This transaction was structured to be a tax-free  reorganization  and to be
accounted for as a "pooling of interests".

ITEM 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

     (a) Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired.  It is impractical at this
time to provide the  financial  statements of Specialty  Bakeries,  Inc. for the
period  specified in Rule 3-05(b) of Regulation  S-X. The  Registrant  currently
expects to file such financial statements on or before August 6, 1996.

     (b) Pro Forma  Financial  Information.  It is  impractical  at this time to
provide pro forma  financial  information  required by Article 11 of  Regulation
S-X. The Registrant  currently  expects to file such pro forma information on or
before August 6, 1996.

     (c) Exhibits:

         10.22  -   Agreement  and Plan of Merger,  dated as of May 22, 1996, by
                    and  among  the  Registrant,   SBI  Acquisition  Corp.,  and
                    Specialty Bakeries, Inc., and Rocco Fiorentino,  John Gerber
                    and Frank Guglielmo.

                                        2






                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereto duly authorized.

                                   MANHATTAN BAGEL COMPANY, INC.
                                            Registrant

Date: June 6, 1996                 By: /s/ Jack Grumet
                                       ------------------------------------
                                           Jack Grumet, Chairman
                                           and Chief Executive Officer

                                        3





                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.               Description                                    Page
- -----------               -----------                                    ----
10.22               Agreement  and  Plan of  Merger,
                    dated as of May 22, 1996, by and
                    among   the   Registrant,    SBI
                    Acquisition Corp., and Specialty
                    Bakeries,    Inc.,   and   Rocco
                    Fiorentino,   John   Gerber  and
                    Frank Guglielmo