Bagel Boom: Delivery’s "Hole-y" Grail

Every few years, the restaurant industry gets a surprise MVP — a food that’s reliable, adaptable, and suddenly essential. In 2025, this fan favorite is a no-frills, no-fuss, century-old staple that’s powering new menu ideas, smoothing out midday slumps, and becoming one of the most profitable add-ons in delivery. The twist? This breakout star isn’t new at all. It’s been around for generations — we just finally caught up. Meet the bagel.

From Tradition to Trend

The bagel’s modern glow-up might feel new, but its story stretches back generations. Brought to the U.S. by Ashkenazi Jews in the late 1800s, bagels landed in enclaves across New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey as families arrived through Ellis Island. They weren’t just food — they were ritual, memory, and cultural anchor.

For decades, the real thing lived almost exclusively in East Coast communities. On New York’s Lower East Side, hand-rolled, boiled-then-baked bagels were guarded by a union of master bakers. In Philadelphia, they became part of deli culture and Jewish identity. A true bagel was chewy, dense, glossy from its boil, and absolutely not steamed.

Then bagels went national — and lost their identity along the way. As chains spread across the U.S., most Americans got something closer to round bread: steamed instead of boiled, soft instead of chewy, machine-made instead of hand-rolled.

And every East Coast grandma uttered the same heartbreak in unison: “If it’s not boiled, it’s not a bagel, bubbeleh.”

It took decades and a new generation of artisan bakers to fix that. As overnight proofing, malted boiling, and old-world techniques returned, so did excitement. People finally understood what East Coasters had known all along: a real bagel is a work of art.

The Hole Truth: Why Bagels Are Delivery Gold

Bagels check every box of a high-performing delivery item — low food cost, minimal prep, easy customization, and universal appeal. As restaurants lean into all-day dining, this round classic is filling the long-ignored gap between breakfast and dinner that operators have struggled with for years.

Craveable, portable, cost-friendly, and built for delivery, bagels are quietly becoming one of the smartest menu plays a restaurant can make. What began as an East Coast staple has officially gone national, boosting slow hours, reshaping menus, and turning everyday carbs into all-day profit centers.

The real reason everyone’s leaning in? The economics just work. When margins tighten and labor runs thin, operators need items that are affordable to produce, fast to prep, and effortless to execute at scale. Bagels hit the trifecta. They’re simple, consistent, and operationally friendly — exactly the kind of item that keeps a kitchen calm and a delivery menu profitable.turning everyday carbs into all-day profit centers.

1. High-Profit, Low-Effort

Bagels are an operator’s dream: the dough is inexpensive, but customers perceive them as premium. Unlike pastries that require delicate handling or breakfast sandwiches that fall apart in transit, bagels hold up beautifully. They don’t wilt, smear, collapse, or steam themselves into sogginess. They toast fast, build faster, and ship like a champion. And in an industry where seconds matter, the speed alone is a game-changer.

2. All-Day Appeal

Bagels break every rule about dayparts — in the best way. They’re morning staples, brunch icons, lunch heroes, and late-night saviors. A bacon-egg-and-cheese bagel is just as appealing at 7 a.m. as it is at midnight This flexibility gives restaurants a powerful advantage: one product that can anchor multiple menus and boost sales across the entire day.

3. Built-In Upsells

Bagels come with natural upsell chemistry. Schmears, flavored butters, hot honey, deli meats, lox, pastries, sides, and coffee all pad the check average without adding complexity. Half-dozen and dozen deals practically sell themselves — especially on delivery platforms. When the base item feels comforting and affordable, customers happily stack on extras. Few categories upsell as intuitively as bagels.

4. Catering Gold

Office breakfasts are chaos... egg sandwiches spill, pastry boxes slide, croissants crumble. Bagels solve all of it. They’re predictable, customizable, universally liked, and incredibly easy to transport. A “Bagel Box” can feed ten people with almost zero assembly. For offices, co-working spaces, and corporate clients, bagels are the hero nobody argues with. For restaurants, they’re recurring catering revenue waiting to happen.

Why Bagels Are Everywhere Right Now

The bagel boom didn’t happen by accident; it was the result of a perfect storm.

1. Artisinal Rise

Small-batch, boil-and-bake shops began opening at record pace in cities far outside East Coast strongholds. In places like Nashville, Austin, Phoenix, and Minneapolis, new-school bakeries began to lean into overnight fermentation, heritage grains, sourdough starters, and old-world craft, setting a new national standard.

2. Comfort Food Revival

Then came the post-pandemic comfort-food revival. People wanted warmth, nostalgia, and foods that felt familiar. Bagels slid perfectly into that craving window — hearty enough to satisfy, simple enough to customize, and deeply tied to memory.

3. Social Media Takeover

Then social media took over. TikTok and Instagram turned bagels into a visual playground. Rainbow bagels, stuffed bagels, bagel towers, hot-honey drizzles, and flavored schmears; suddenly, the most traditional food in the world became highly clickable content. Bagels didn’t just taste good; they photographed perfectly. And demand exploded.

Sam Silverman, New York’s Bagel Ambassador

What We Saw at NYC BagelFest 2025

If there’s one place that captures the scale of the movement, it’s BagelFest —and the Sauce team was at Citifield on November 16, 2025 to see it firsthand. This year’s turnout wasn’t niche; it was electric. More than 2,000 attendees grazed through samples from bagel brands stretching from the Hudson to Honolulu, Atlanta to Seattle, and Madrid to Montreal.

Standouts ranged from Queens’ beloved Curly’s and Utopia Bagels and Manhattan’s Ess-a-Bagel to New Orleans’ Flour Moon Bagels and Charleston’s Holey City, along with a wave of side-hustle-turn-serious-contender cottage brands.

The big winner of the 2025 New York BagelFest wasn't a hometowner. Starship Bagel, all the way from Dallas, TX, took home “Best Bagel ” honors.

Other notable awards:

• Fantzye Bagels (Kingston, NY) — Schmear of the Year and Best Sourdough Bagel

• Potchke Bagel (Knoxville, TN) — Most Creative and Best Bialy

• Baltik’s Bagel (Richmond, VA) — People’s Choice

The biggest trend? Bagel sandwiches dominated. Hot honey, jalapeño, and maple-forward flavors were everywhere. And schmears weren’t a side note. They were the main event. BagelFest 2025 wasn’t just a festival; it was confirmation: this is a movement.

How Restaurants Can Capitalize on the Bagel Boom

You don’t need to turn your kitchen into a bagel shop to ride the wave. Start small and smart. Signature bagel sandwiches are the fastest win — and they’re built on ingredients you already stock: eggs, veggies, cheese, chicken, smoked salmon, and plant-based proteins. Bagels give those familiar items new life. They’re flexible, fast to execute, and carry some of the strongest margins in all-day dining.

• Feed the office crowd with bagel boxes. For corporate clients, consistency is king, and bagel boxes deliver every time. They’re predictable, customizable, universally loved, and perfect for meetings, trainings, and staff appreciation days. Low lift for your team, high-volume potential for you.

• Lean into delivery-friendly bundles. Half-dozen and dozen deals convert effortlessly — especially during cold months, busy weekends, and slow mid-afternoons. Customers love the “just-in-case” extras, and those bundles increase average order value without adding prep time.

• Build Buzz with Schmear Kits. They’re family-friendly, brunch-friendly, and Instagram-friendly. A few spreads, toppings, and add-ons give customers a fun, DIY experience that photographs well and travels even better.

• Strengthen Morning Loyalty with Coffee-and-Bagel Combos. Quick, reliable morning bundles keep regulars returning and create an easy entry point for new customers who want a grab-and-go win.

• And if bagel-making isn’t up your street, partner with a local bakery. You get the quality without the labor, they get exposure, and your menu gets an instant credibility boost. It’s community-building with built-in upsell power.

10 Bagel Builds That Crush in Delivery

These hit every requirement: travels well, easy to batch, universally liked, and uses ingredients most kitchens already have.

1. Classic Bacon, Egg & Cheese

Always the bestseller. Travels beautifully, costs little to produce, and anchors any morning menu.

2. Veggie Sunrise

Egg, cheddar, tomato, spinach. Add avocado for an instant $1–$3 premium.

3. Smoked Salmon + Cream Cheese Stack

High perceived value, low labor, and a corporate catering favorite.

4. Chicken Cutlet Bagel

Crispy or grilled chicken + melty cheese + pickles. A high-margin lunchtime hero.

5. Turkey Club Bagel

Turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, aioli. Easy to prep, great for batch ordering.

6. Avocado Everything

Avo, cucumber, sprouts, lemon-pepper seasoning. A plant-forward option customers will pay for.

7. Pizza Bagel (Adult Edition)

Marinara, mozzarella, basil. A nostalgic classic turned grown-up comfort food.

8. Steak & Egg Bagel

For restaurants with steak on the menu: huge perceived value and an effortless upsell.

9. Spicy Honey Chicken Bagel

Breaded chicken + spicy honey + slaw. Sweet heat always converts.

10. DIY Schmear Sampler

Plain bagel + three spreads (scallion, veggie, smoked salmon, sweet). Instagram gold and perfect for families.

Smart Pricing Strategies for Bagel Success

The bagel boom works best when the economics stay tight. These tactics help boost margins without raising red flags for customers:

Anchor With a Simple Base Price

Start with one fair, approachable base price — then build profits through add-ons and upgrades.

Use Tiered Premiums

Charge $1–$4 for:

• Avocado

• Extra protein

• Specialty schmears

• Gluten-free or specialty bagelsThese small bumps add up quickly.

Bundle for Higher AOV

Half- and full-dozen deals convert exceptionally well. Pair them with:

• Cream cheese trios

• Protein add-ons

• Coffee jugs or cold brew

Catering Pricing = Predictable Revenue

Offer:

• Per-person bagel boxes

• Build-your-own stations

• “Morning Meeting Packs”Corporate clients love simple, set pricing — it removes friction and drives repeat orders.

Leverage Add-Ons

Upsell sides like:

• Fruit cups

• Hash browns

• Side salads

• Extra spreads

These require minimal labor yet help push checks 20–40% higher.

Partner, Don’t Produce

If you’re sourcing bagels from a local bakery:

• Negotiate volume pricing

• Co-brand the offering

• Promote each other on socialsCustomers love a trusted local partnership — and they’ll pay more for it.

The Future of the Bagel Economy

Bagels aren’t trending — they’re evolving into a lifestyle food. Expect continued growth in gourmet flavors, premium spreads, deli nostalgia, breakfast delivery, and bagel-forward hybrids like sourdough bagels, bagel-croissants, and shokupan-style bagels with that soft, bouncy, mochi-mochi texture. Restaurants that innovate now will own the comfort-carb comeback later.

Takeaway

Breakfast's newest hole-y grail, bagels have crossed over from regional comfort food to national menu essential; the kind of item that quietly slips onto a menu and ends up reshaping delivery economics. They’re simple to execute, universally loved, endlessly customizable, and built for scale. More importantly, they solve real operational pain points: smoothing slow hours, anchoring morning rushes, boosting ticket sizes, and delivering the kind of margin operators dream about.

The bagel boom isn’t a fad — it’s a shift in how customers eat, order, crave, and comfort themselves in 2025. Restaurants leaning in early are already seeing the payoff. If your menu has a hole (pun intended), a bagel might be exactly what fills it — and what fills your revenue gaps right along with it.

By Eileen Strauss