Bart’s Bagels is opening a third location in Bala Cynwyd

Bart’s Bagels is coming to Bala Cynwyd.

The New York-style bagel shop, which currently has locations in West and South Philadelphia, is bringing its fresh bagels, smoked meats, egg sandwiches, and unique schmears to 273 Montgomery Ave.

The Main Line outpost is expected to open this summer.

While the new storefront marks a major expansion for the local bagel shop, it’s also a homecoming for co-founders and brothers Brett and Kyle Frankel, who grew up in Bala Cynwyd.

“We know the area very, very well,” Brett Frankel said.

Brett, 34, and Kyle, 41, both Lower Merion High School graduates, grew up a five-minute walk from their newest location. Brett Frankel says he remembers hanging out at the soon-to-be Bart’s Bagels storefront after middle school, back in the days when it was Bravo Pizza.

Main Line patrons will be able to expect all of the same kettle-boiled bagels and fixins’ that Bart’s is known for, from pumpernickel bagels to pastrami smoked salmon and beet-horseradish cream cheese.

While Barts’ city-based locations are grab-and-go only, there will be a few seats in the new Bala Cynwyd shop.

The unique part of Bart’s, Brett Frankel said, is that patrons can see bagels being made in front of them through the open kitchen.

“You’re kind of immersed in it,” he said.

The Frankels say their love for good bagels was forged through regular trips to New York’s Upper West Side to eat at the famed Zabar’s and H&H Bagels.

Looking to get their fix closer to home, Brett Frankel taught himself how to make bagels while working as a business analyst for a software company. He traveled to Denver, New Jersey, and Detroit to learn the ins and outs of the bagel industry.

Bart’s started as a wholesale operation in late 2019, selling to Di Bruno Bros, Middle Child, Elixr Coffee, White Dog Cafe, and other local restaurants. The Frankels brought Chef Ron Silverberg on board, and they opened the first Bart’s in West Philly in January 2020. Their South Philly location opened in July 2024.

Bart’s is not the only new bagel place coming to Lower Merion this year.

PopUp Bagels, the viral bagel chain known for its “grip, rip, and dip” model, is opening in Ardmore’s Suburban Square early this year.

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