In Eastern Mediterranean regions, Balkan countries and the Arab world there is a popular snack that looks like a large bagel and comes beaded with sesame seeds. It has various names, but in Turkey it’s called simit, and it is the star attraction at a new shop in Manhattan called Simit & Smith. The Smith is fictitious; the Turkish entrepreneurs behind the enterprise added it to make the name more American-sounding, said Burak Atay, the managing partner. They opened on the Upper West Side last week and already have a bakery and store in Cliffside Park, N.J. Two spots are planned for the financial district in early 2013.

Though New York is the bagel capital, Mr. Atay said, he and his partners felt they could fill a gap with their breads, particularly for Turkish expats hungry for foods from home.

The Upper West Side shop is compact, with a brick wall and a menu of round and oblong breads in plain, earthy whole wheat with sesame, and crunchy mixed whole grain. They are sold mainly to go, with or without fillings. There are also juices, sodas, coffee and tea, including Turkish teas, which usually accompany simit and are sipped from a glass. The store will soon have a shelf of products like Turkish delight, macarons, dried fruit and olive oil.

Simit & Smith, 124 West 72nd Street,  numbers button skype logo(212) 496-6605 . Simit breads are $1.99 each, sandwiches are $2.99 to $7.99. The store is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.