Why Black Bagel?

At its heart, Black Bagel is a love story—between two people, and two cultures.

Lloyd, raised on the South Side of Chicago, grew up eating his family’s homemade bagels—a recipe passed down through generations. These bagels weren’t just breakfast. They were legacy. They were love.

Devin, with her Jewish upbringing, knew bagels from a different lens: Sunday mornings with her Bubbe, lox on the table, cream cheese in the air, and conversations you couldn’t escape if you tried.

We fell in love in Chicago and eventually moved to Des Moines with one goal: to share this family recipe with others. The name Black Bagel honors the Black roots of the recipe that inspired it all—and celebrates the joy that comes from blending traditions.

It’s a bagel built on heritage, love, and the idea that bagels are meant to be shared.

(And yes—our Bubbe approves.)

Welcome to the Sunday Bagel Club.