Start Spreading the News: Bagels & Co. Whips Up Selection of 30 Creative Cream Cheese Flavors to Pair with Extensive Selection of Brooklyn Style Bagels
Philadelphia-based neighborhood café expands into Florida with first location in Fort Lauderdale
Reminiscent of an ice cream parlor, only with cream cheese that resembles gelato and Brooklyn style bagels, Bagels & Co., with now four locations in Philadelphia, has opened its first location in Florida in Fort Lauderdale in the former Hardy Park Bistro at 21 SW 7th Street.
The Philadelphia-based Bagels & Co. celebrated with a ribbon cutting attended by Broward County Commissioner Robert McKinzie, Fort Lauderdale City Manager Greg Chavarria, Fort Lauderdale Assistant City Manager Susan Grant and other civic and community leaders.
Open daily from 7 a.m.-3 p.m., it’s the first of 8 locations planned for South Florida with a second Bagels & Co. location opening soon in Wilton Manors at 1015 NE 26th St., in what was previously a Starbucks.
“Florida is my second home, as I went to college here, so I couldn’t be more excited to open a business here especially with Bagels & Co. which I believe will be a great addition to South Florida,” said Philadelphia restaurant group Glu Hospitality COO Derek Gibbons, who has partnered with business partner, former investment banker and Fort Lauderdale native Mike Marsh to bring Bagels & Co. to the Sunshine State.
The quick-serve, family-friendly, neighborhood café showcases a large variety of cream cheese and more than a dozen different bagel varieties as well as high quality made-to-order sandwiches, pastries and beverages and gluten free and healthy food options, including vegan tofu spreads, all affordably priced.
Bagels & Co.’s eclectic spread of indulgent cream cheese flavors include bacon cheddar, birthday cake, black truffle, cookie monster, honey nut, sriracha scallion, vegan tofu spreads and more. When the company opens in a new city, seasonal cream cheese flavors are added to reflect that city, local sports teams and more.
Customers can spread their favorite cream cheese flavor on one of more than a dozen bagel varieties baked on-site. The wide spectrum of pristinely lined-up bagels is a feast for the eyes and fuel for the soul. Special seasonal bagel flavors are added throughout the year to commemorate seasons, holidays and more. Just as funky and innovative as the cream cheese, bagel selections include French toast, cheddar habanero, seasonal flavors and such classics as everything, blueberry, cinnamon raison, whole wheat and more. Coffee made using Costa Rican beans roasted in New York, tea and other coffee-based beverages as well as high quality made-to-order sandwiches, including egg, chicken and tuna salad, grab and go items, parfaits and pastries are also on the menu.
Bagels & Co. supports local communities in the cities where the company has a presence, partnering with local non-profit organizations as part of the company’s philanthropic initiatives. First responders, including police, firefighters and EMTs, nurses, doctors, teachers, veterans and active military personnel who come to Bagels & Co. in uniform or present their work ID will always receive 10% off their orders.
“I am thrilled to bring this incredible concept to my hometown,” Marsh said. “We want to be part of the fabric of these great communities in South Florida and beyond.”
Bagels & Co. is looking to expand throughout Florida with plans to open 20 additional locations in Florida and Pennsylvania as well as expand to metro areas in several other states.
Bagels & Co. is one of the restaurant brands from Philadelphia restaurant group Glu Hospitality. Currently, there are four Bagels & Co. locations in Philadelphia with three more set to open in coming months, including Midtown Village/Center City, South Philadelphia and Temple University, along with the two locations in South Florida.
For more information, visit thebagelsandco.com.
About Bagels & Co.
Philadelphia-based Bagels & Co. features an extensive menu of Brooklyn-style bagels, including creative seasonal flavors, that are baked fresh on-site daily along with 30 varieties of cream cheese, including birthday cake, lox, black truffle, za’atar, jalapeno cheddar, chipotle, maple bacon and honey nut. The casual café also offers a selection of breakfast sandwiches and lunch options, as well as coffee made from Costa Rican beans roasted in New York. All new Bagels & Co. locations will have indoor and/or outdoor seating, take-out and grab-and-go, plus online ordering on major delivery apps. The first several locations are now open in Philly and Fort Lauderdale with plans to expand throughout Pennsylvania, Florida and additional states. For more information, visit thebagelsandco.com and follow them on Facebook and Instagram @thebagelsandco.
About Glu Hospitality
Glu Hospitality is a Philadelphia based hospitality group that creates unique experiences by bringing together the best of food, drink, design and entertainment. Led by founders Tim Lu and Derek Gibbons, Glu currently owns, operates and/or partners on over a dozen concepts in the Greater Philadelphia region, with concepts about to expand along the East Coast.
Signature properties include Bagels and Co., Figo Ristorante, Figo Pizzeria, Brewerytown Food Hall, 1225 Raw Sushi, Izakaya Fishtown, Leda’s Cocktail Garden, Vesper Center City, Anejo Philadelphia and Sushi Suite. Bagels and Co. currently has four locations open in Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Brewerytown and Rittenhouse/Center City, with more than a dozen to come in the near future — including expanding the fast growing brand to Florida. New projects include the highly anticipated opening of The Peabody on Temple Campus in 2024, and the launch of several new concepts coming to Center City in 2024.
Glu Hospitality and partners have won local, regional and national accolades and honors for their work in transforming from a nightlife company to a restaurant and hospitality group — and for their unique pivots over the pandemic, including the award-winning igloos in Northern Liberties, ghost kitchen concepts, and adapting to family-friendly daytime concepts. Partner Derek Gibbons was nationally recognized as a Rising Young Star by FSR Magazine.
For more about Glu Hospitality, visit www.gluhospitality.com.
