Arran’s Bagels is set to open on Bridlesmith Gate in Nottingham this July.
The shop will serve bagels, coffee and takeaway food from the former Moda in Pelle unit on the corner of Bridlesmith Gate and Middle Pavement.
The business is the latest venture from Arran Bailey, managing directorof ALB Group, whose projects have become a familiar part of Nottingham city centre in recent years.
Mr Bailey said the idea was inspired by visits to New York, where bagel shops are a regular part of daily life.
“Every time we went to New York, we’d come back talking about bagels,” he said.
“It wasn’t really about the bagels themselves. It was how they fit into everyday life. People grab one before work, eat one sat on a bench, pick one up on the way home, get one when they’re hungover. They’re just part of the neighbourhood.
“When we’d come back home it always felt like something was missing. Nottingham has loads of great coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants, but we couldn’t find the kind of bagels we kept going back for.”
The menu will include classic bagel fillings such as bacon, egg and cheese, salt beef and pickle, and schmears. There will also be rotating specials and flavoured schmears, including roasted garlic and herb, and double chocolate Nutella.
Mr Bailey said: “We’d rather do a smaller number of things really well than try to do everything.”
The team has spent several months developing the bagels with a local bakery.
“We didn’t want to just buy something off the shelf,” he said.
“We’ve been ridiculously picky about everything. Texture, chew, crust, size, seeds, the lot.
“It’s taken longer than we expected because the bagel is the whole point. If you get that bit wrong, nothing else matters.”
The business expects to create around 20 jobs, with much of the opening team already in place.
Mr Bailey said the team had been involved in shaping the business before opening.
“A lot of the team joined before launch and have helped shape what Arran’s is from day one,” he said.
“Everyone’s bought into it. There’s a slightly obsessive energy around bagels, coffee, music, service, all the small details. Most people won’t notice those things individually but they definitely feel them.”
The shop will be mainly takeaway-focused, with a small number of window seats inside and benches outside.
Mr Bailey said he wanted Arran’s Bagels to become part of people’s regular routines rather than a one-off destination.
“We’re not trying to build a massive brunch place or somewhere designed just for Instagram,” he said.
“We want Arran’s to become part of people’s routines.
“If someone grabs breakfast here three times a week, that’s a bigger compliment than somebody travelling across the country to visit once.”
People passing the unit in recent weeks may have seen a bagel-shaped peephole in the shopfront window, offering a glimpse inside before the opening.
An opening date is expected to be confirmed shortly.
