Cleo Bagels (fka Dodo Bagels) was born in a West Philadelphia home kitchen during the winter of 2016. The first bake was inspired by a friend who overcame his newfound bagel deficit following a move to the south. As a Brooklyn native, bagel enthusiast, and home baker with limited options in Philly at the time, his plight resonated with me. Inspired, I set out to see what I could do to narrow my own bagel-gap.

Since that first batch in 2016, I’ve run an underground bagel service out of my apartment, moved production to a pizzeria, vended at the Clark Park Farmers Market and Lil’ Pop Shop, hired two part time employees, interned at a couple of shops I admire, developed a dough that honors tradition featuring local and organic ingredients, and prepared and served over 10,000 hand-rolled hearth-baked bagels in West Philly.

We are excited to share that we are now officially open to the public at 5013 Baltimore Avenue in West Philly!

Cleo remains a small batch bagel operation. We are picking up where we left off in March, 2020 w/ a new team, expanded menu, and we’re looking forward to once again providing the neighborhood with high quality and mostly traditional fresh baked bagels, tasty creative sandwiches and much more.

-Alex