Baby’s Bagels
“We’re babies, you know. It reflects our sort of immaturity,” Koby Elias grins as he, his brother Cyrus, and their friend Eric Valchuis try to explain the origin of the name of their shop, Baby’s Bagels. What started as a bagel experiment in early 2022 has quickly become a beloved spot in Salt Lake City, opening their first storefront in November 2023. The journey, however, was anything but straightforward.
All three co-founders hail from the Boston area, and while their paths out west were varied, they each found their way to Utah in unique ways. Koby was the first to make the leap, leaving behind a corporate job in Boston to become a ski bum in Jackson Hole before settling in Salt Lake City. His brother Cyrus soon followed, drawn by Utah’s ski slopes and the gravitational pull of his older brother. Eric, the last to arrive, made the move with his partner after grad school in California during the pandemic. “We all somehow ended up here, and once we got together, Baby’s Bagels was born,” Eric explains, laughing at how their love for bagels and the mountains became a driving force behind the business.
“We had no idea what we were doing, but we knew what a good bagel should taste like,” says Koby. Armed with little more than YouTube tutorials, some trial and error, and a solid understanding of what New York bagels are all about, the trio dove into the art of bagel-making. “We didn’t have the luxury of New York water, but it turns out, it’s all about the mountain views,” Cyrus adds with a grin, clearly not taking himself too seriously.
Their first bagels were sold through Instagram, where followers placed orders and picked them up at a commissary kitchen in South Salt Lake. “We thought, ’Hey, maybe we can avoid paying rent for a full shop if we just sell through a window or something,’” Eric quips, recalling how they wanted to bypass the costs of opening a retail space. But after gaining traction at the local farmers market and experimenting with various models, they realized that Salt Lake City was ready for another bagel shop - and they were ready to deliver.
At Baby’s Bagels, the men keep the menu simple but deliver quality in every bite of their plain, everything, poppy seed, sesame, salt, and newly added, pumpernickel flavors. For their cream cheese offerings, there are always the classics like plain, scallion, and the fan-favorite dill pickle, alongside two rotating seasonal flavors. Recent highlights include a peach cream cheese during Utah’s summer season and elote, a Mexican street corn-inspired option.
For bagel purists, they offer a perfectly crafted egg sandwich, as well as the traditional lox with capers and red onion. Those looking for a vegan alternative can choose the house-made muhammara, a rich and flavorful red pepper and walnut spread that even non-vegans love. “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” says Koby, “just make the best bagels and sandwiches we can, and keep it accessible.” And making the best bagels is certainly what they do - a slight crispness on the outside, and chewy soft on the inside. For a discerning New Yorker, this is exactly how a bagel should be.
In addition to their thriving shop, Baby’s Bagels has expanded into the catering world, offering fresh bagels, spreads, and other specialty items for events. Whether it is for office gatherings, brunches, or family celebrations, their catering service brings the same delicious flavors and signature humor that customers have come to expect from the trio.
Despite their light-hearted nature, the Baby’s Bagels team takes their craft seriously. Each bagel undergoes a three-day process of mixing, proofing, boiling, and baking. “It’s not rocket science,” Eric says, “but if you make enough bagels, you figure out what works—and what doesn’t. Plus, we always have those mountain views." And then, laughing in unison, Cyrus added, "That’s the key.”
It is not all bagels and banter, however. The team is proud of the supportive community that has helped them get this far. “People have been incredible,” Koby says. “Other food businesses in Salt Lake are so open to helping, offering advice, and just wanting to see you succeed. Eric then adds, "It’s a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats kind of place.”
As for the future, for now, they are simply grateful to be here, making people happy with bagels. “We always imagined creating something we wanted to see in the city, and I think we’ve done that. If you want something good, go out and make it. That’s how we got here.”
