Thinking about entering the bagel game? You’re going to need a distinct name and brand if you want to take a bit out of the big boy bagel profits in your market. Fortunately, we’ve got a large list of name ideas designed for all sorts of upstart bagel shops. At the very least we’ll get your wheels spinning about a future business name whether you decide to operate on a food truck or retail location.
While the first reference to bagels in recorded history goes back to the 17th century, the simple bread product has evolved with the explosion of foodie culture. As we’ve learned over the past couple decades, you can incorporate just about every flavor imaginable into this food: Pumpkin Spice, Blueberry, Cinnamon Sugar just to name a few.
The bagel isn’t reserved for breakfast table any longer. Gourmet bagels that include eggs, bacon, sausage, unique olive spreads and more are enjoyed for lunch or dinner. According to the research company Statista, more than 210 million Americans will enjoy a bagel annually. These consumption trends are expected to steadily increase for the foreseeable future every year.
World Famous Bagel Shops
I mean seriously. How great is this?
Before we look into naming strategies for your business, let’s explore some of the most popular bagel brands that have been executed on by other food entrepreneurs. Apologies in advance if you get hungry while reading these.
- Yeastie Boys Bagels: Based in Los Angeles this bagel truck pays homage to 80s hip-hop legends the “Beastie Boys” out of NYC. Yeastie Boys Bagels even captured that don’t give a rip attitude in their business description: Bagels – Lox – Schmear – Other Shit. This rolling bagel shop is much more than attitude though. They deliver with the quality of their sandwiches as well. Check out the “Game Over” that includes scrambled egg, peppered bacon, sliced tomato, beer jalapeño cheese spread on a cheddar bagel.
- The Bagel Hole: Based in San Francisco this is an extremely popular lunch destination. If you live in the area, be sure to try the chicken salad on a bagel or the Veggiemeister if you’re into that sort of thing.
- Ess-a-Bagel: Can’t make it to NYC for a legit bagel? No problem. Ess-a-Bagel delivers nationwide. Experience authentic hand-made bagels without an airplane fare.
- Bagel Oasis: This NYC bagel shop has been doing it right since 1961. These bagels have been made the same way for the past 5 decade using all-natural ingredients and old school methods. Oh yeah, and they aren’t planning to change that methodology any time soon.
- Absolute Bagels: Can’t make it too NYC? The next best thing is getting the visual / audio experience from Alex, a French guy trying to find the best bagels while visiting the United States. Enjoy this truly immersive food experience.
Creative Bagel Shop Names
Searching for something a little different? Something that stands out, but doesn’t stick out in a bad way? Here are some ideas that fit into the memorable and unique category without being too far outside the lines.
- The Exalted Bagel
- Collective Bageling Agreement
- Lox Joy
- The Charming Schmear
- Knockout Bagel Shop
- Pretty Bagel Company
- Authentic Bagel Co.
- Organic Bagel Sandwiches
- Coffee & Bagel Cafe
- The Poppy Seed
- Pumpernickel & Cream Cheese
- Sesame Bagel Factory
- Not a Plain Bagel Shop
- Central Park Bagels LLC
- New York City Bagel Group
Related Reading: 101 Creative Bakery Names You Can Use Right Now
Strange Bagel Shop Names
You probably don’t want to go here. But just in case… here’s a list of weird ones anyway.
- The Revealing Bagel
- Provocative Lox
- I DONUT Want Bagels.
- Titanic Bagels
- Chewy Bagels
- Yesterday’s Bagel Shop
- Crabby Dick’s Bagel Factory
- The Stale Bagel
Funniest Bagel Shop Names
This is everything… Bagels!
You could have even more fun by including a popular bagel pun in your name. This is a nice way to add a touch of humor to a lighthearted brand. Some of these are eye-rolling good.
- Thanks for Everything Bagel
- You’re My Everything Bagel
- Goldy Lox
- Schmear is Here.
- Schmear Inspiration.
- Luvin’ the Lox.
- I Bagel To Differ
- The Airplane Bagel
- The Beagle Bagel
- Billy’s Bae-Goals
- Leggo My Bagel
- Cake Hole Bagel
Bagel Shop Name Generator
Now that we are in the 2020s, us humans don’t need to be as creative as we might have had to be say 30 years ago. You can outsource your name suggestions to a free computer program. Take for example one over at Shopify. Enter a main core keyword and the algorithm will determine some memorable ideas you and your friends couldn’t think up over a weekend.
Here’s a short list of suggestions that were returned when I entered “lox” into the above mentioned tool:
- Techno Lox – Wouldn’t have thunk up this one on my own.
- Lox Republic
- Northern Lox
- Rainy Day Lox
- Amber Lox
The results are always a bit of a mixed bag with these tools, but they do their job to stimulate interesting ideas fast. Here are a few more results I got when trying Schmear:
- Class Schmear
- Schmear Architects
- Bandit Schmear
- Family Schmear
- Schmear Made
Again… Call me crazy, but I think there’s some stuff you can work with here.
What To Do Next
After going through the name discovery process and finding some ideas you like it’s time to get your due diligence on. In other words, make sure no one else already claimed or otherwise trademarked your unicorn brand.
The simplest way to start this process is heading to Google. Enter the name you’re noodling and see if there’s an existing business already in operation under the title. If there is, move further down the brainstorm list or adapt the original idea to something more unique.
If you’re able to move beyond the first-layer Google test, check to see if the name is currently trademarked at the United States Patent and Trademark website. You can use the search tool here to find out if the idea has been registered and even apply for your own trademark if you’re ready.
Of course you should always consult a reputable legal professional for guidance that’s relevant to your situation for guidance structuring a business entity. This is only a starting point. As a next step, we recommend completing this food business model canvas. This tool will help you map out exactly how you’ll generate sales of your cream cheese and salmon bagel sandwiches when you open for business.
