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Holy crap! On the one day I decide to post some Portland bagel news, it turns out the world is bursting with Portland bagel news bites.

As Dave’s Killer Bread is muscling its way into the local bagel market, beloved Kettleman’s bagels just got bought out of it. The Colorado-based group that owns Einstein’s Bros. and Noah’s Bagels announced today that they’re gobbling up Kettleman’s.

Kettleman’s stores will die, in name. They will be rebranded as Noah’s and Einsteins. Tasty ol’ Kettleman’s was run by Jeffrey Wang, a Korean Taiwanese immigrant who came to Portland via New York, spotted a gaping hole in Portland’s kosher bagel market, and scrounged the capital to start his bagel business in 2006. The company today employs 100 people, produces 12,000 bagels a day, and, in my humble opinion, makes much better bagels than Noah’s.

It’s unclear whether the recipe for Kettleman’s bagels is going away, along with the name—it’s possible they could still continue selling Kettleman’s bagels under the Noah’s name. Don’t worry, I’m calling the Kettleman’s about this RIGHT NOW.

Sarah Shay Mirk reported on transportation, sex and gender issues, and politics at the Mercury from 2008-2013. They have gone on to make many things, including countless comics and several books.

17 replies on “Bagel Watch! Noah’s Bagels Buys Kettleman’s”

  1. Well. That’s horrible news. They’re not going to bother keeping that bagels that are actually good, eh? Because Noah’s are horrible.

  2. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo………….
    No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

    (I am sad)

  6. here’s hoping Wang pulls a tazo tea and re-opens with an even better recipe than the semi-good one he got started with.

    i think kettleman’s is much better than noah’s, which is absolutely fucking awful, but not by any means amazing.

    tastebud is the best bagel in the city by far.

  8. Kettleman’s-good. Tastbud-gooder.

    Believe me for not only am I a Jew with refined bagel taste, I was teased as a kid by rednecks who referred to me as a JEW BAGEL.

  9. Well shit, that didn’t take long! I thought the Kettleman’s shops were franchises… Guess not. Tastebud’s fine if you’re into more of a Montreal style bagel, I guess. Not really my cup of tea. Sounds like Wang decided it was time to cash in. Shame…

  10. Damn. This is where I get breakfast when I have to open my own shops in the mornings. They’ve got great creamcheeses and the bagels are acceptable. I now has a sad.

  11. Often overlooked factoid is the ‘gaping’ hole in Portland’s kosher bagel market was left by the disappearance of Josh Kornblatt’s original Portland Bagel Bakery on SW 4th AV.
    And yes, Bagel Land, nee Bagel Ladies on Fremont is pretty good too and a long time fixture.

  13. FUCK. Kettleman’s was one of the few east-coast-food outlets in PDX that could actually placate east-coast people, proving that it IS possible to make a good bagel outside of NY/NJ.

    Einstein’s is one of the most horrible companies I have ever encountered. Their product is pure stock-inflating, cost-cutting shit, their employees are moronic and depressed, and the environment is heinous. Absolutely evil. God damn.

  15. just had kettlemen’s from SE 11th this morning and something seemed… wrong. now i know. this is a sad day for bagel lovers in PDX… and a BIG opening for a real independent, GOOD bagel company to open ASAP.

  16. Beloved my fucking ass. I hope they close the one in NW Portland down. They are the most miserable bunch of assholes I’ve ever had the displeasure of buying something from. (I’ve been in there like 4-5 times, every single encounter. Seriously.)

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