LA’s Famed Brooklyn Bagel Bakery Could Reopen By Summer

Things are (finally) looking up for the team behind Brooklyn Bagel Bakery. The 52-year-old bagel legend’s original building in Historic Filipinotown has been in dire straits since collapsing in 2015 — but now a rebirth could be closer than you think.

New owner Vanik Elchibegian has finally taken complete control of the non-functioning building along Beverly Boulevard, after spending more than a year negotiating with the landlord there. Now his only hurdle is the City of Los Angeles as he works to rebuild the site where an exterior wall completely collapsed two years ago. It will take some time to retrofit the space and make it workable again, but Elchibegian says that’s exactly what he intends to do.

In the meantime, wholesale production for Brooklyn Bagel Bakery has been taken to an offsite baking location also owned by Elchibegian. More than likely that facility will continue to operate once the Beverly Boulevard address gets sorted out, leaving room there for a more cafe-like experience and some one-off on-site baking. Don’t worry, this won’t become a new minimalist coffee haven for hip kids moving into the area; expect the same old school charm and feel as ever before. Elchibegian even says he’s kept original photos of the first owners and other trinkets from the place to add some charm, and has already purchased a few rotating deck ovens to bring back in once the city gives the all clear.

Plans have already been submitted, and if Elchibegian’s aggressive timeline stays intact Brooklyn Bagel Bakery could reopen by Memorial Day weekend of this year. It would be a fitting return for the beloved bagel company, landing two years to the day from the collapse of their retail outlet. So far that’s just a timeline, but either way it’s nice to know the place is slated for a return to form soon enough.

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