The Lox Bagel Shop is preparing to bring its hand-rolled bagels and made-to-order sandwiches to Polaris, with owner Kevin Crowley targeting a mid-November opening for the new location at Galaxy at Polaris.
Located at 2140 Ikea Way, Columbus, OH 43240, the upcoming shop will mark the business’s second location following the opening of its original Short North restaurant in 2018. Kevin Crowley told Whatnow Columbus that construction is still underway, but the team hopes to open by the middle of November.
“We don’t have a solid date, but certainly by the end of November, but we’re shooting for the mid-November,” Crowley said.
The expansion comes as Crowley looks to introduce the brand to a new customer base while positioning the business for further growth in the Columbus area.
Crowley said the decision to open at Galaxy at Polaris followed years of exploring potential expansion opportunities throughout Columbus and its surrounding suburbs.
While the original location serves a predominantly urban customer base, the Polaris site offers access to a different mix of customers, including nearby residents, corporate employees and the surrounding suburban community.
“The project at the Galaxy presented a unique offering because it opens up our ability to cater for the Monday to Friday business community that’s out there, which is a large group of people,” Crowley expressed to the publication.
He also pointed to the development’s residential units and expanding retail offerings as factors that made the location attractive.
The team hopes to establish a presence in the area before it reaches its full potential over the next several years.
“We thought it was a good opportunity to get in before the area kind of grew to its full potential over the next few years,” he stated.
Customers visiting the new location can expect a menu largely consistent with the original Short North shop, with espresso-based drinks among the additions planned for Polaris.
The new space will be approximately 500 square feet larger than the downtown location, but that additional room will primarily go toward the kitchen rather than the customer-facing area.
“Our goal is to basically mirror what we’ve done downtown with a larger kitchen space to afford ourselves some more flexibility on volume,” Crowley added.
The expanded kitchen will also allow the team to introduce more specials once the restaurant is up and running.
For the initial launch, however, Crowley said the focus will remain on delivering the same food and hospitality customers have come to expect.
“We will have espresso-based drinks there, which we don’t have downtown,” he said. “But as for the main menu, it will be pretty identical to what we have downtown.”
Takeout will be available, and the business is considering offering delivery from the Polaris location, depending on how the launch progresses. The original shop does not currently use delivery apps.
Among the shop’s most popular bagels are its everything bagel and sea salt and herb bagel, the latter featuring fresh rosemary and mountain sea salt.
For sandwiches, Crowley highlighted the bacon, egg and cheese and the Southwest sandwich as customer favorites.
The Lox Bagel Shop also cures and smokes its pastrami and fish in-house for its lox sandwich offerings, a process Crowley said reflects the team’s commitment to product quality.
“We’re really proud that we do everything in-house, and so our new guests will see and feel that experience as well,” he said.
The business developed its own approach to bagels by drawing inspiration from both New York and Montreal traditions. Crowley said the team spent considerable time researching different styles before settling on a product that incorporates elements of both.
Montreal-style bagels are generally smaller and denser, with a touch of sweetness, while New York-style bagels are typically larger and softer.
The Lox Bagel Shop combines these influences with a live-fire baking process to create bagels designed to stand on their own while also working well in sandwiches.
“We took what we think are the best components of both of those and really built what we’re proud of,” Crowley said.
Since opening in late 2018, the original location has navigated several challenges, including construction along High Street that diverted traffic from downtown Columbus and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crowley said those early difficulties forced the business to adapt, but continued attention to its food and customer service has helped it grow.
“Business has only grown as we continue to focus on the quality of product and the hospitality that we offer people,” he said. “And as the city grows, luckily, we’ve been able to grow with it.”
Crowley and general manager Silas Keaton both have backgrounds in higher-end restaurants, experience they have applied to the shop’s food preparation and customer service.
Despite the techniques involved in producing the menu, the goal is to keep the experience approachable, allowing customers to enjoy a simple bagel with cream cheese or a sandwich without unnecessary frills.
Opening the Polaris shop will require a significant increase in staffing. Crowley said the business expects to at least double its staff to support the new location.
Some employees from the original shop will help train the incoming team and establish consistent standards, while the business continues recruiting for both locations.
The new restaurant will also serve as an important test of the brand’s appeal outside its established downtown customer base.
Crowley acknowledged that expansion brings risks, including maintaining the company’s culture and determining whether demand in a suburban market will meet expectations.
The results will help inform future decisions about where the business might expand next.
“We just gotta stay focused on our downtown operation and continue to make that great while we kind of test ourselves in the new market,” he said.
Although the team hopes to open additional locations in the future, Crowley said its immediate priority is making the Polaris opening successful.
For now, he is looking forward to introducing The Lox Bagel Shop to customers who may not regularly visit the Short North.
“We’re just thrilled to be a part of the community,” Crowley said. “We are looking forward to fit in and serve the folks of the Polaris area and the employees that work in the area, and hopefully, we can replicate our success downtown.”
The Lox Bagel Shop’s existing location is at 772 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43215.
