A Hole Lot of Happiness — National Bagel Day: January 15
January 15th is National Bagel Day, which basically means you have official permission to enjoy an extra bagel (or two) today. Whether you love them toasted, stacked with cream cheese, or piled high with all the toppings, bagels are one of those foods that just make everything taste better. Chewy on the outside, soft on the inside, and endlessly customizable — it’s no wonder they’ve become a breakfast favorite for so many Americans.
"A bagel is a doughnut with the sin removed."
- George Rosenbaum
WHEN IT COMES TO BAGELS, DID YOU KNOW:
- That 60+% of Americans surveyed eat a bagel for breakfast a least twice a week? As someone (unknown) said: "Bagels are the breakfast of champions."
- That the American bagel market was valued at $6.3 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $7.35 Billion by 2030?
- That New Jersey and New York are not the states where the most bagels are consumed. Apparently the most number of bagels consumed are in Maine! Who knew? The average American eats some 39 bagels per year.
- That Monticello New York, the birthplace of the bagel, and official bagel capital of the world, is known not only for the quaint charm of the town, but also for the annual Bagel Festival?
- That bagels must be round in shape to be considered a bagel? Or that the hole in a bagel is to make them bake faster and stackable on a wooden pole for selling?
- That bagels are the only bread that is boiled before being baked? They are dipped in boiling water for approximately 3-5 minutes before going into the oven.
- That the bagel-making process was once a trade secret controlled by the Beigel Bakers' Union which only admitted sons of existing members into the union and conducted its meetings almost entirely in Yiddish?
"Bagels: The perfect balance of chewy, crunchy, and delicious."
- Unknown
19 BAGEL TOPPINGS THAT AREN'T JUST CREAM CHEESE
"A bagel is a blank canvas waiting to be topped with deliciousness."
- Unknown
WHERE TO BUY GREAT BAGELS IN THE CHARLOTTE AREA
Charlotte is home to quite a few "bagelries," as I call them. Here are eight top picks for Charlotte bagel lovers:
- Poppyseed Bagels, have two locations in the Greater Charlotte area; one in Matthews, one in Weddington. They advertise themselves as NY-style bagels. Family-owned and operated by a third generation, Poppyseed bake their bagels in-house.
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Bagel Boys, whose shop is in Waverly in south Charlotte off Providence Road. They also advertise themselves as NY-style bagels served with true Southern hospitality and offer well over a dozen types of bagels.
- Jeff's Bagel Run, in Blakeney in south Charlotte. These are not styled as NY-style bagels and they boast that their bagels are never toasted. They have some six types of bagels and lots of cream cheese options. The espresso cream cheese is like eating coffee ice cream!
- New York Old School Bagel & Deli, opened in Carmel Village in 2024. It won Charlotte's Best of the Best (BOB) award in 2024. This "bagelry" offers some 20 different kinds of bagels.
- Poppy's Bagels & More, opened since 2010, have two locations in Charlotte. One at 2921 Providence Road and one at 2201 South Boulevard. Family-owned and operated, Poppy's bagels offers a dozen varieties of bagels.
- Family Dough Bagels, in Mint Hill, who advertise themselves as "just New Yorkers makin' bagels." All bagels are made on premises by the Brooklyn, NY natives. They also offer fresh whipped cream cheese and house-made flavored cream cheese for their bagels.
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Pop Up Bagels in Charlotte's Ballantyne Bowl, located at 14020 Stream Way. This is their first North Carolina location, which opened in October 2025. Their "claim to fame" is crispy crusts, soft crumb centers, and an ideal proportion of seeds coupled with house made schmears.
"A bagel is a round bread with a hole in the middle, and yet it's one of the most delicious things on Earth."
- Anthony T. Hincks
This information on National Bagel Day and where you can get great bagels in the Charlotte area is brought to you by Nina Hollander with Coldwell Banker Realty, Greater Charlotte area residential real estate expert. Want to live near one of Charlotte's great bagel shops? I can help you find the perfect home!
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