Bodega Bagels to open first store in Belfast city centre
Popular homegrown bagel brand, Bodega Bagels will open its first bricks-and-mortar store in the heart of Belfast city centre later this month.
From humble beginnings as a small at-home lockdown project, Bodega Bagels quickly graduated to a series of pop-ups before taking up residence at Banana Block in the east of the city in April 2022. A unit at the popular Trademarket outdoor market followed that summer, helping the brand to build a loyal customer base, and expand its outside catering operations.
The brainchild of husband and wife team, Steven and Kirsty Orr, plans for a standalone store and bakery have been in the couple’s sights since the early days, but the closure of Trademarket this summer was the catalyst to realise their vision. One day, walking through the city centre, Steven spotted the vacant former Clements Café unit on Royal Avenue and quickly put the wheels in motion.
“Since the beginning, I’ve always had my eye on this part of town. With the new Ulster University campus opening nearby and life coming back to the area, it felt like the perfect time to bring Bodega Bagels here,” he explains. “We’ve always strived to create an authentic New York-style bagel experience, and we believe our new location, with its red brick and industrial feel, captures that vibe perfectly.”
Firmly established as Belfast’s favourite spot for authentic, freshly baked New York-style bagels and delicious bakes including the iconic Boulder Cookies, all of Bodega’s bagels and pastries are baked in-house.
Excitement for the launch is already building. A teaser, posted by the brand on its Instagram and TikTok accounts before the weekend, quickly racked up over 60,000 views*, sparkling speculation around the location of the new store. With the fit out well under way, it’s expected the Royal Avenue store will open in the coming weeks.
The new city centre store will offer freshly baked bagels, coffee and bakes daily from 8am to 3pm, with plans to extend opening hours in the longer term. Customers will have the option to grab and go, or sit in, with an extensive seating area.
In preparation for the opening, Bodega Bagels are hiring for six new roles, bringing their total number of staff to 16. In addition to their new home, Bodega Bagels will continue to serve customers at Banana Block, though they will move their baking production to the city-centre location, enabling further growth in catering services, particularly with local businesses and offices nearby.
“Opening this store is a huge milestone for us”, explains Steven. “It will allow us to expand not just our retail offerings but also our catering services, which we’ve been lucky to grow in East Belfast. Now, being centrally located, we can better serve a wider community, and service growing demand for business and corporate catering.”
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