The All-New Bagels and Co. Opens at the Piazza in Northern Liberties
The All-New Bagels and Co. Opens at the Piazza in Northern Liberties
Northern Liberties, the years of waiting are over and Philly’s hottest food neighborhood finally will get its bagel shop! Glu Hospitality debuts its first-ever breakfast and lunch concept Bagels and Co (1001 N 2nd St) with a grand opening celebration between Friday, June 4 and Sunday, June 13, 2021. Derek Gibbons and Tim Lu, the dynamic duo behind Germantown Garden Grill, Vesper Dayclub, Leda and the Swan, Germantown Garden Grill, Hunnies Crispy Chicken, The Igloos at Germantown Garden and Vesper Center City, are proud to debut a 1,100 square foot breakfast, lunch, coffee and bagel cafe and shop that is modern, clean, simple and stylish, complete with an opening menu filled with over a dozen varieties of Brooklyn-style Bagels, over two dozen inventive, creative and signature cream cheeses and spreads, along with fresh made-to-order sandwiches, salads, baked goods and other goodies. On the coffee side, Bagels and Co. is ready to give the neighborhood a jolt with fresh-brewed coffee in partnership with D’Amico Coffee Roasters. The menu features gluten free and vegan options as well.
Opening hours are seven days a week, from 7:00am to 4:00pm daily. Doors are open and bagels are fresh and ready today! Please save the date for Philly Gay Pride Month celebration and fundraiser with $1.00 from sales of Bagels and Co.’s signature rainbow bagel between June 11-13th will be donated to Philly Asian Queer for their work in the community. Additionally, on June 12th, Bagels and Co. will celebrate their grand opening with festivities all day with a free cup of coffee with any bagel or sandwich purchase. Bagels and Co. will stay open that day for a Grand Opening Public Party in conjunction with Northern Liberties Second Saturday and Artists at Work, with a DJ, featured artist at work, samples, giveaways – plus a local offer for the neighborhood with 10% off for any locals who show identification, mail or anything that says they are from No Libs and 19123 zip code – or from anyone that works in the neighborhood.
“We love Northern Liberties and have invested over the years in making it one of the best places in Philly to eat, drink, live and work,” said Gibbons. “We have invested heavily in the neighborhood with a diversity of projects – and we saw a need for a bagel and coffee shop that was open seven days a week, with a variety of options, at a smart price point. We partnered with D’Amico Coffee Roasters and researched our options and came up with the idea of Bagels and Co. The idea came at a perfect time as with the pandemic, we had to close our nightlife destinations. The shut-down really had us step back and look at how we would pivot in the short term, but we also examined our business model for beyond the pandemic. A day-time, stylish cafe for our favorite neighborhood was the perfect option – with plans for more Bagels and Co. coming in the near future. The sky’s the limit as we seek opportunities around the city, the suburbs and then even beyond Philly. The response has been crazy positive and even overwhelming, so we are taking our time, spreading out the celebration over a whole week, and we can’t wait to meet everyone and introduce Philly to our bagels!”
Bagels and Co. is the first breakfast and lunch concept from Glu Hospitality, but it is also Glu’s first-ever brick and mortar for a fast casual concept. Bagels and Co. is located in the Piazza at 1001 N 2nd St. directly across the street from Set NoLibs and a few doors down from Anejo Philadelphia. Across the street on the east side, Bagels and Co. is located just 100 feet from Vesper Dayclub, Germantown Garden, Germantown Garden Grill and the ghost kitchen for Hunnies Crispy Chicken. Later this summer, Glu will open TWO new concepts just 50 feet to the North of Bagels and Co. in the former Wahlburgers space. Also, later this summer, Glu will expand and open their first restaurant in the adjacent red hot Fishtown neighborhood with a big name chef and a brand-new concept.
In the kitchen, Glu is serving from-scratch Brooklyn-style bagels – that are soaked in water to make them puffy and crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. For cooking the bagels, Glu had special custom fabricated steam ovens made just for this first location for Bagels and Co.
On the menu, look for over a dozen bagels that include plain, everything, salt, garlic, onion, egg, sesame, poppy, rainbow, cinnamon raisin, french toast, pumpernickel, cheddar habanero, whole wheat, whole wheat everything – and other specials to be announced. Bagels are only $2.00 each for standard bagels, and $10 for a 1/2 dozen and $18 for a full dozen. Bagels with cream cheese selection are $4.00 each.
For toppings, look for over two dozen (and counting) spread and cream cheese options – including vegan, non-dairy, gluten-free and more. The opening line-up includes:
Plain cream cheese
Breakfast and lunch sandwiches are available and made-to-order upon customer request, plus look for a pre-set menu of signature sandwiches. Bagels and Co. proudly serves Boar’s Head Deli Meats. A sample of sandwiches includes The Classic for $9.00 with lox or whitefish, cream cheese, tomato, onion and capers. BEC for $8.00 includes bacon, egg, cheddar, salt, pepper and ketchup. PB Banana for $7.00 includes peanut butter, banana and bacon. On the lunch side, look for a Turkey, Ham or Roast Beer and Swiss Sloppy Joe, The Cuban, Grilled Cheese, Jerk Turkey, Italian, Caprese, Reuben, Chicken Salad, Tuna Salad, and Egg Salad. The 2nd Street for $10.00
For coffee, Glu has partnered with D”Amico for special roasting blends that were designed exclusively for Bagels and Co. Coffee beverages include the standards with a tight menu of well-done drinks – including coffee, espresso, double espresso, cappuccino, latte, matcha, iced coffee, iced latte, iced matcha, red bull cool, Nitro cold brew and more. Coffee by the bag is also available for sale, as are Bagels and Co. merchandise, and grab-and-go market items, beverages and more.
For vision, Gibbons said that Bagels and Co. was designed to have an extensive collection of Brooklyn-style bagels, dozens of cream cheese and spread options, a well-done tight collection of breakfast sandwiches, casual and walkable lunch options, and of course, amazing well-done coffee that will compete for best in the neighborhood from D’Amico Coffee Roasters roasted specifically for Bagels and Co. and Glu Hospitality.
The 1,100 square foot space was completely renovated and replaced with a clean, cool, modern and simple black and white design with subway tiles, accent pieces, light tone woods and a giant coffee bar and refrigerated case. For design, Gibbons and Lu opened up the wall on the N. 2nd Street side to show off the giant floor to ceiling windows to allow in a new bright and airy feel with tables that look directly out to the sidewalk scene. Inside, look for stools and a railing along the inside of the Piazza windows with seating for up to eight people. Inside, marble-top tables are set to start for up to 12 people. Outside, Bagels and Co. is the only eatery in the Piazza and Liberties Walk with ample courtyard space for covered weather-proof dining with the massive 20+ feet overhang that connects N. 2nd Street with the inner Piazza courtyard. Look for a half dozen seats to start, with additional tables and chairs to pop-up outside by July 4th weekend.
For the Bagels and Co. journey, the lease was signed in October 2020 during the pandemic and work began immediately with a tentative November opening. Bagels and Co., like many restaurants, faced supply shortages, worker shortages, construction delays, and other challenges that were created by the pandemic. The wait is over, however, and Glu is ready to introduce their new concept just in time for summer – and as the city reopens fully.
For opening, look for indoor and outdoor seating, take-out, pick-up, breakfast service, lunch service, coffee service and a small grab-and-go section. Online ordering and delivery service on the major apps will launch by the end of June.
For Glu, this is the first but definitely not the last Bagels and Co. coming to Philadelphia. The duo are currently working on and entertaining proposals for other locations around the region and even into the suburbs. Glu is also working on details to make the brand scalable to other cities and markets. Glu is also currently working on scaling some of their ghost kitchens, including the popular Hunnies Crispy Chicken, to brick-and-mortar locations.
Look for information on the three new restaurant concepts coming in the next few weeks, plus all the summer details for the return of Vesper Dayclub, Germantown Garden, Germantown Garden Grill – and the reopening of Vesper Center City. Leda and the Swan will shortly announce late night and music service again as well. Big things are happening for Glu Hospitality – and all eyes are on the future for their growing and pivoting brands.
