New York-style bagels are rolling into Tacoma, and they are landing right on Sixth Avenue. Bagel’s Bagels, a family-run shop built on old-school New York recipes, is planning a summer debut at 2805 6th Ave, with a tight menu of classic bagels, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and coffee from a Tacoma roaster.
The family’s fingerprints are all over the project. The name and mascot come from the Hetterlys' cat, and owner Chris Hetterly has tapped the couple's older daughter to handle the interior design, giving the space a literal home-team touch.
As Hetterly told What Now, the goal is to bake "pretty New York-oriented, crispy on the outside, light but still chewy on the inside" bagels. The opening lineup will stick to the essentials: plain, salt, everything, sesame, and poppy, with whole wheat and pumpernickel slated to follow. A full kitchen will back a roster of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, run by the family themselves.
Where It Will Sit on Sixth Avenue
City business records list Locust Cider at 2805 6th Ave, confirming the address’s recent tenant history, according to the City of Tacoma. Bagel’s Bagels will move into that spot, right next to a recently opened outpost of Katsu Burger on the block.
Local business coverage earlier this spring also highlighted a building-permit application tied to a bagel shop at the same address, suggesting that interior work could be starting up, as reported by Yahoo.
Local Bagel Boom
Hetterly told What Now he views Bagel’s Bagels as a complement to Tacoma’s existing bagel makers rather than a rival. Independent bagel outfits have been quietly building a scene in the city, including Howdy Bagel, which has helped establish a stronger bagel presence in Tacoma, according to Eater Seattle.
For anyone tracking the rise of Tacoma’s bagel game, Bagel’s Bagels is sharing updates and behind-the-scenes progress on Instagram at @bagelsbagelstacoma as it gets ready to open.
