Our Story
In France, one baked product has dominated the market for generations: the mighty baguette. Practically a symbol of the Republic in bread form, it could only be more French if it were painted in the Tricolore.
However, two step-brothers, Thierry Veil and Gilles Abecassis, dared to change everything with a new product they had fallen in love with during their time in the US: the bagel.
The Founders Behind the Concept
Gilles had been building restaurant concepts in Strasbourg since the early 2000s, accumulating the supplier relationships, commercial instincts, and hospitality experience that turn ideas into functioning businesses. Together, they had the financial rigour and the operational knowledge to back their conviction.
The first store opened in 2011, with a powerful concept which was already fully formed from day one: fresh bagels baked in-house, homemade pastries, good coffee, and a brand with genuine personality. Great food and great atmosphere, all delivered with a personality which immediately set it apart from the boring uniformity of other fast-casual brands.
Customers responded immediately, and a second store quickly followed, and then a third. Visitors to Strasbourg from across France and beyond encountered the brand and wanted it at home, and so the brand knew it was time to expand. With little or no competition anywhere else on the market, they decided franchising would be the fastest way to strengthen their leadership position in this new, emergent market, and it was able to grow much faster than with stand-alone, company-owned stores.
Franchising began nationally in 2013 and, today, Bagelstein is the European leader in artisan casual food, with more than 100 restaurants, a loyal and growing customer base, and a reputation as the kind of brand that people tell their friends about.
