Coffee Break: Knead Bagels

Where: 725 Walnut St.

The lowdown: Adam Willner and his wife, Cheri, opened their Washington Square West shop last week. There was a line of customers waiting for them on their first day.

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Backstory: The couple's background is in fine dining, but the idea for a bagel shop crossed their minds when they were in charge of brunch offerings at Rittenhouse Square restaurant Matyson a few years ago. "We thought about what we like to eat, and bagels popped up," said Cheri, 29. "This spot seemed perfect, because there's a void of bagels in the area." They put considerable time into coming up with unique flavors that work especially well paired with custom spreads - like a Moroccan spiced apricot bagel topped with a lemon goat cheese spread. "Every bagel shop you go into, you see more or less of the same stuff," said Adam, 37. "We're trying to take a much different approach."

Coffee: Given the state of the city's coffee scene - pretty damn awesome, in case you haven't been paying attention - Knead Bagels wanted to offer beans from a local company. After much deliberation, they settled on Elixr Coffee Roasters. You can grab a regular cup of Joe to go with your bagel, or spring for a latte, cappuccino or espresso.

Ambience: A smattering of small tables and chairs, with plenty of light pouring in through the large front windows that offer a view of ever-busy Walnut Street. Cheri said that she's already recognizing their many repeat customers.

If you go: Arrive early. "We bake in small batches throughout the day, because we want to keep everything fresh," Adam said. "We make our dough a day in advance, so we know going in each morning how many bagels we can make that day. If we're busy early, we can sell out."

Be adventurous: Traditional bagel flavors - onion, garlic, poppy seed, everything - are on hand, but try some of Knead's more eclectic offerings. "I'd love for people to try the togarashi, with the scallion lime cream cheese spread, and the pastrami spice with the smoked chopped liver," Adam said. "That's probably my favorite thing on the menu." Egg sandwiches - with bacon, sausage or kale - have been wildly popular. "We sold more than 250 egg sandwiches between Saturday and Sunday," he noted. "A lot of places just microwave some eggs. We don't even have a microwave. Everything is made to order."

More to come: Soups, salads and other lunch offerings will begin appearing on the menu after Thanksgiving.

Prices: Coffee, $2 to $2.50; espresso, $2.50; latte, $3.75; single bagel, $1.50; nontraditional bagel and spread, $3.50; half-dozen, $7.50; baker's dozen, $13; egg sandwiches, $4 to $6.

Social stuff: Twitter: @KneadBagels. Facebook: Knead Bagels; Instagram: kneadbagels; website: kneadbagels.com.