From pop-ups to a permanent shop

Jordan Renouf stands outside his new bagel shop on West Broadway.

Brick Street Bagels comes to South Boston

Brick Street Bagels fans … your wish is about to come true!

Brick Street Bagels, which built a loyal following through its popular pop-ups in South Boston, will have a permanent location in the neighborhood.

Owner Jordan Renouf will open Brick Street in a shop space owned by South Boston NDC at 371 W. Broadway that formerly housed Sweet Tooth Bakery. The opening date has yet to be determined as Jordan and his team are finishing construction.

“South Boston was such an important early piece of the growth of Brick Street,” Jordan said, and that played a big role in him wanting to have a shop here.

Jordan and his first hire, Andrew Blau, would make bagels at 2 a.m. in a South End restaurant, bring them to South Boston, set up a table at places like Shy Bird and Gray’s Hall, and start serving. “We would come over the hill and just see this huge line of people,” he said.

“Everyone was so nice and excited,” he continued, noting the people in line comprised a kind, welcoming, and diverse community.

“It's been really clear that a lot of our customers live in South Boston and have been begging us to bring bagels to South Boston,” Jordan, 30, said.

In addition to making amazing, high-quality bagels, Jordan wants to create a welcoming local gathering space, reminiscent of the general stores he grew up with in Vermont.

“Much of my inspiration for creating the actual physical space in South Boston is inspired by a Vermont general store where it feels like a space that has a lot of history and a lot of character. It feels warm and inviting. You come into a cool shop and there's fun music playing, you're greeted by someone who's got a smile on their face and excited for you to be there.

“It’s an experience more than it is just a transaction.”

And the location can’t be beat, he said. “It’s amazing. I don't know how I got so lucky to find a space with big, beautiful eastern-facing windows on a corner. It's going to be full of light.”

South Boston NDC Executive Director Donna Brown is thrilled to have a bagel shop in one of the nonprofit’s properties. “Brick Street’s commitment to quality, creativity, and creating a welcoming gathering space aligns perfectly with our mission to support local businesses and enhance the neighborhood. We can’t wait to see this space come to life — and to enjoy some amazing bagels!”

Brick Street will serve its signature hand-rolled bagels and cream cheese along with coffee. Among his best-selling bagels are the cheddar, the everything, and the rosemary and sea salt. 

What makes the Brick Street Bagels so special? “We put a lot of time and care into every single bagel,” Jordan said. 

“On a Saturday, we'll sell over 1,000 bagels, and every single one of those we are individually touching, we are individually flipping in the water so that each side gets boiled for the proper amount of time. We're seasoning every single one. While it's 1,000 bagels that are going out our doors, what is important to me is that I know that every single one of those individual bagels is going to be looked at and eaten by someone, so I really care that that none of them fall through the cracks.”

The shop will expand into open-face sandwiches created by Chief Bagel Officer Andrew, a talented and creative chef, and may delve into pizzas and cookies.

Jordan started this adventure by making bagels out of his apartment in the South End when he discovered there weren’t any bagel shops nearby. “I just figured that I would learn to make them, and then once I learned to make them, I thought that maybe it would be a cool way to meet other people in the neighborhood.

“I spent the next nine months on my bike, biking around the city, delivering bagels to people's doorsteps. Many of those doorsteps were in South Boston.”

As demand grew, pop-ups followed, and eventually, a partnership with The Buttery allowed him to bake and sell in a professional setting. 

With the success of his bagels, Jordan was able to quit his full-time job and devote all of his attention to Brick Street, which he named in honor of his South End neighborhood’s brick-lined streets.

Brick Street Bagels will be open in South Boston from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day. The South End location at 312 Shawmut will remain open on Wednesdays through Sundays.

“What Brick Street is bringing to South Boston is this small, mighty team of really creative people who have a lot of energy and are thinking outside the box.”

Welcome to the neighborhood, Brick Street Bagels!

Follow Brick Street on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brick.street.bagels/