On Railroad Avenue, wedged between Avenue Bread and Mallard’s Ice Cream, sits the Bagelry – Bellingham’s classic bagel shop, with its distinctive green canopy and white cursive font.
The Bagelry got its start in 1984 in its current location serving fresh New York-style bagels.
Terra Seaton and her husband Aaron co-own the Bagelry and have been with the business since 2009 when they started as bakers.
“The way that we make bagels is very old school, New York-style,” Terra Seaton said. “The original owners were from New York [City], and they wanted to bring that here.”
When the previous owner decided to retire in 2016, the couple decided to buy the Bagelry. Many of their friends worked at the Bagelry and they felt a personal connection with the company, Seaton said.
“I've had people tell me that they had no idea that there was a change in ownership, which is honestly exactly what we were going for,” she said.
Bagels play a big role on the menu but they also serve coffee, tea and other baked goods. The most popular bagel is the “everything bagel,” with rosemary and sea salt coming in a close second place, Seaton said. The rosemary sea salt was initially a seasonal bagel but due to its popularity was added to the permanent menu.
Fresh bagels sit in a basket on July 19, 2023, in Bellingham, Wash. The Bagelry has 13 different bagel flavors customers can choose from. Co-owner Terra Seaton said the summer is one of their busiest times of the year. // Photo by Joshua Kornfeld
Seaton described the mission of the Bagelry as “providing high-quality food at an affordable price.”
Before the pandemic, the Bagelry had a staff of around 40 people. During the height of the pandemic, staffing shrank to around eight employees. They now have a staff of around 32, Seaton said.
The Bagelry is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Seaton said the Bagelry strives to be more sustainable. To reduce waste they donate leftover bagels to local organizations such as Bellingham Food Bank and Sustainable Connections. Seaton said this has been a practice since they joined in 2009 and has continued since they took over the business.
In order for customers to have consistently fresh bagels, staff have several intervals throughout the day when they bake more bagels. Seaton said they have three bakes a day – one at opening, lunch and closing, with additional bakes in between depending on demand.
“Ideally when you're coming in at any point, you can get a bagel that is hot or has been baked within an hour or so,” she said.
Get your bagel fix at the Bagelry located at 1319 Railroad Ave.
