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Owner story · Old City, Philadelphia

“I think that if you can do one thing really well, that’s all you really need.”

Collin Shapiro · Co-founder, Philly Style Bagels

A plank of seeded bagels going into the oven
Everything, poppy and sesame bagels spilling from a paper bag

From a Sunday pop-up to two shops

It started with cured salmon and nothing to eat it with.

Collin Shapiro and Jonathon Zilber met stocking beer at a Northern Liberties bottle shop and went on to work as baristas. When they cured some salmon, they baked bagels to go with it. New York bagels get malt in the boil and Montreal’s get honey, so they boiled theirs in Yards beer. Their Sunday pop-ups at Pizzeria Beddia drew lines and went through about 500 bagels a morning, and an Indiegogo campaign paid for the oven of their first shop, across from Palmer Park in Fishtown.

“We had this fish, and then bagels are obviously the natural vehicle for eating such a food.”Jonathon Zilber, co-founder, to The Temple News, 2016
The Philly Style Bagels shop in Fishtown, with its round sign beside the door

The menu

Crunchy outside, soft inside, with “an unparalleled malty sweetness.”

Every bagel is slow fermented in small batches, rolled by hand, boiled in beer and water, seeded on both sides and baked on wooden planks. There are ten flavors every day, from everything to za’atar, with whole wheat Thursday to Monday and blueberry on weekends. Every bagel is vegan, the spreads run from scallion cream cheese to whitefish salad and Tofutti, and the coffee is Elixr.

Cream cheese, cured salmon, cucumber, tomato, red onion

Best new sandwich, 2016

Classic LoxCream cheese, cured salmon, cucumber, tomato, red onion
Seeds, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes

Seeded on both sides

EverythingSeeds, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes
Tofu, cucumber, pickled carrot, radish, jalapeño-lime mayo and fried shallots

Vegan special

Tofu Bánh MìTofu, cucumber, pickled carrot, radish, jalapeño-lime mayo and fried shallots
Artichokes mixed with harissa, a North African chili paste

Vegan special

Spicy ArtichokeArtichokes mixed with harissa, a North African chili paste
Shaped by hand, then boiled in beer and baked

Twenty-one by twenty-one

Hand-rolledShaped by hand, then boiled in beer and baked
Everything to za’atar, plus whole wheat and blueberry on set days

Dozen, half dozen, single

Ten flavors a dayEverything to za’atar, plus whole wheat and blueberry on set days

From Sunday pop-ups to Arch Street.

  1. 2014The founders start Sunday bagel pop-ups at Pizzeria Beddia in Fishtown.
  2. Jan 2016Their first shop opens at 1451 E Columbia Ave, across from Palmer Park.
  3. Aug 2016Bon Appétit names the Classic Lox the best new sandwich in America.
  4. Mar 2021Food & Wine lists them among the best bagels in America, and the Old City shop opens at 218 Arch St.
  5. Apr 2026Pinkbot starts delivering from 218 Arch St.
“Philadelphia has such amazing beer culture.”

Collin Shapiro · “We now boil them in a combination of Yards IPA and water.”

Visit Philly Style Bagels

Fresh bagels down the block from the Betsy Ross House.

218 Arch StPhiladelphia, PA 19106
Order onlinephillystylebagels.com@phillystylebagels
An everything bagel held in an open hand
Order at the counter, stay and eat, or order ahead online.Pinkbot delivers Philly Style’s bagels from Arch St to the door.

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Keep more of every order.