There’s a new bagel spot rolling in on the east side of town.
Right next to Pizza Luna and on the corner of Speedway and Wilmot, Bubbe’s Fine Bagels is setting up shop at 1101 N. Wilmot Rd.
In Fall 2020, longtime Pizza Luna employee, Kyle Leuer, along with his partner Becca Groff, approached Marc and Tracy Frankel — owners of Pizza Luna — about the bagel concept and have since helped them move forward with their plans.
The idea of opening the shop really took off after making bagels from leftover pizza dough.
“Although the first few batches were rough, it got us dreaming about our perfect bagel,” said Groff, operating partner of Bubbe’s Fine Bagels. “Down the rabbit hole we went, devouring any online resource regarding bagel-making that we could find. As the batches got better, we realized the potential market that a craft bagel shop could have in Tucson.”
The bagels are inspired by the way they’re made on the east coast, but with new-age techniques, and each tasty batch takes three days to complete.
“The process has been quite the challenge but we’ve had some amazing help along the way,” said Groff. “We were lucky enough to shadow at a bagel shop in Lexington, Massachusetts called Wicked Bagel. They were incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable about the somewhat gatekept art of bagel making.”
They’re using a mature starter and then ferment the bagels longer than you would with other bagel recipes, creating a “flavorful and texturally complex bagel.” Leuer and Groff believe that a true bagel must contain barley malt for that signature taste, be boiled, and then baked on a deck oven.
When it comes to the menu, they’re keeping it simple with a variety of bagels every day — Sesame, Cinnamon Raisin, Caraway Rye, Poppy, Plain, and Everything — and are also planning to introduce some weekly specials.
Oh, but there’s more, too. A handful of breakfast sandwiches will be on the menu, such as Bacon, Egg & Cheese, Soft Scrambled Eggs with Housemade Breakfast Sausage, and a Lox Bagel Sandwich.
The location, which shares a wall with Pizza Luna, is being completely built out and renovated in a way that gives visitors an intimate view of the bagel-making process.
“Walking in the front door, customers will be greeted with our bagels on full display,” said Groff. “The entire kitchen will be visible to guests, including a large bagel kettle, rotating deck oven, and our bagel former.”
The grand opening is expected to be in August 2021 once construction wraps up.
Bubbe’s Fine Bagels is located at 1101 N. Wilmot Rd. For more information, follow Bubbe’s Fine Bagels on Instagram.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
