Following the success of its first physical location in Miami, El Bagel will open its second brick-and-mortar location, much to the excitement of its fans. The new shop is set to open on Dec. 1 in Coconut Grove’s CocoWalk and will offer the same hand-rolled bagels, sandwiches and schmears that have made it a favorite among locals. With this new location, El Bagel hopes to contribute to the flourishing culinary community in the Grove.
El Bagel was founded by Matteson Koche in 2016 as a weekend food truck pop-up in the parking lot of Wynwood’s Box Elder. Its baked-fresh-daily bagels and piled-high sandwiches quickly gained a cult following. At that time, Koche worked as an Urban Planner for the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District, where he served as a liaison between restaurants and the city. During his work, he met Simon Caicedo, who now serves as the Managing Partner of El Bagel. Simon worked at a local restaurant and started helping Koche in the food truck on weekends while both continued with their full-time jobs during the week.
In 2020, El Bagel opened its first brick-and-mortar in Miami’s MiMo district, just before the pandemic forced restaurants to shut down. The team had to act fast and transition to an online ordering system for pickup only. Despite these challenges, El Bagel received support from the bagel connoisseurs, which helped the business to grow and become a local hotspot on Biscayne Boulevard. In 2023, Bon Appetit named El Bagel one of the “very best bagels in the US.” Now, the new 500-square-foot CocoWalk location is an exciting chapter in El Bagel’s journey, bringing its offerings to the heart of Coconut Grove.
“The opening of the Coconut Grove location is kind of a full circle moment in the story of El Bagel,” Koche says. “We would roll bagels at 5 a.m. in the basement of Ariete, then stroll into the Mayfair for work. I got a first look at what owning a restaurant looked like, and it’s where Simon and I got connected. We cannot wait to bring El Bagel to the neighborhood. The once-Chinese-takeout-spot is a quaint 500 [square feet], which provides some tough but fun challenges for the volume we plan to do.”
The new shop’s menu will adhere to the brand’s ethos of quality and flavor and will feature a variety of bagels, signature sandwiches, and rotating drinks. The menu will have traditional items like the Bacon, Egg, Cheese, and the classic Lox Supreme with locally smoked lox. The shop will also offer innovative creations, including the EB Original with scallion cream cheese, roasted jalapeños, thick-cut bacon, and the Pastrami Egg & Cheese with 18-hr smoked pastrami. Customers looking to taste Miami can choose the King Guava with guava marmalade, cream cheese, papitas, and a local fried egg. Latkes and other new items will be exclusively available in the Grove. Vegan options will cater to dietary restrictions, and customers can also purchase uncut bagels, schmears, salads, and fish. The shop will serve locally roasted coffee from Great Circle Coffee.
“We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to El Bagel as the newest addition to our carefully curated tenant lineup,” Stuart Biel says, Senior Vice President at Federal Realty. “El Bagel’s arrival enriches CocoWalk as a dynamic gathering place, where people can come together, connect, and enjoy a wide selection of dining and entertainment options.”
Located at 3015 Grand Ave. #122, El Bagel CocoWalk will be open daily from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. for online and walk-up orders. It will serve as the brand’s second brick-and-mortar location, with plans to open a third storefront in December of 2023 at the new Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
