Bronx Bagel Buggy, a beloved traveling pop-up bakery, plans to open its first brick-and-mortar storefront in Chamblee as early as this September.
Owners Julie Dragich and Steven Novotny started their stories separately; Bronx native and hair stylist Steven Novotny was born to Italian restaurateurs, while in the Midwest in Cleveland, Julie Dragich, a Polish woman was working as an IT sales consultant and ran a catering company.
The pair weren’t bakers initially but in 2021 during the pandemic, the two started learning how to bake. After experimenting with baking on their own, the two took a bagel-making class and offered their friends to taste-test their recipes. Dragich thought to start selling their baked goods at Brookhaven Farmers Market and it was an immediate hit.
While traveling to and from different farmers’ markets in Alpharetta, Dunwoody, and Sandy Springs and working with different restaurants in Atlanta, the bagel duo are ready to park their buggy and settle down and open up their own independent store. “The Brookhaven and Chamblee community really supported us,” said Julie Dragich. “Everyone always asked us when we were going to open up a store in the neighborhood.”
Selling preservative-free, kettle-boiled, and baked bagels have been described as crunchy outside and light and airy inside. Flavors range from the classic everything bagel pretzel, garlic Parmesan, Rosemary, and sun-dried tomato Asiago bagels. Other items on the menu include bialys, bagel chips, Sicilian pizza, bagel dogs, and Bagel Bombs (bagel balls stuffed with cream cheese).
An updated site plan for 5490 Peachtree Road, a small strip center near Broad Street and Chamblee’s new City Center project, will include the new bagel shop opening in a roughly 1,800-square-foot space. The Bronx Bagel Buggy will join existing tenants such as Gus’s Fried Chicken and The Commodore, a barber shop, in the center. The Bronx Bagel Buggy offers counter service with about 20 or so seats inside for those choosing to eat in the shop. Inspiration for the design of the shop comes from The shop will include an open production window to let patrons view their baked treats being made from scratch to finish.
Through their training in bagel making and the culinary secrets passed down from their families—their Mama’s Stuffed Cakes are based on a 100-plus-year-old recipe from Dragich’s family, the pair are ready to start their next bagel chapter in Chamblee. “We’re excited to put this into play with high energy and interacting with customers,” said Steven Novotny.
