After starting as a delivery-only service, BagelGram has announced plans to open a new brick-and-mortar in Indian Trail, located at 7878 Idlewild Rd.
The company’s first storefront will replace 100 Main Beef & BBQ, according to Axios. Owner Kevin Priest started the company as a ghost kitchen/ bagel delivery service during the pandemic to support his family. He recently signed a five-year lease for a 1,300-square-foot space, expected to open in August 2023. The company has started a Kickstarter to raise $15,000 to get the process moving faster. Priest, a Florida native, moved to North Carolina four years ago and was driven by their goal to open a bagel shop in the community.
“We are working tirelessly to open the store by the end of summer and look forward to becoming a part of this amazing town that has welcomed us since the start of our delivery service,” according to the Kickstarter. “We searched high and low within each of our delivery zones around Charlotte for the perfect storefront, but most locations were either too expensive or too far from home. We prayed for a space that was just the right size, turn-key, and fairly priced, and we were fortunate to find this beautiful location that was previously a BBQ restaurant.”
When the new brick-and-mortar opens in late summer/ early fall, it will offer breakfast and lunch sandwiches, flavored cream cheese, locally roasted coffee, cold brew, and drip coffee. Priest hopes to provide a comfortable meeting space for the local community with BagelGram. The bagel shop also plans daily and weekend menu specials, including all scratch-made soups, biscuits, scones, sandwich bread/challah bread, hard rolls, and seasonal pastries and sweets. The owners are currently renovating the space.
“Our Kickstarter campaign goal is to raise $15,000, which will be used to invest in top-of-the-line equipment necessary to produce some of the best bagels in Charlotte,” said Kickstarter. “Currently, we are funding the demolition of the existing interior, cleaning and painting the walls, and building the countertops using our savings and a small loan. We will also repair the ceiling, drive-thru window and furnish the dining area with comfortable tables and chairs. While we can easily obtain most of the smaller items necessary to run a bakery/sandwich shop, it is the larger equipment pieces that are challenging to afford.”
