Einstein Bros. wants a bigger slice of America's bagel market

Einstein Bros. Bagels wants a lot more storefronts. The nation's largest bagel chain plans to open more than 300 new bakeries across the U.S. by 2030, a move that would push the Denver-based company past the 1,000-store mark.

The chain closed last year with 720 locations and domestic sales of $667.2 million, up nearly 3% from the year before, according to Technomic's Top 500 Restaurant Chains ranking.

Behind the growth sits a new store format called "Elevate the Morning," built for speed, freshness and a warm feel. The design puts the fresh-baked bagel case front and center and splits in-store ordering from digital pickup, a layout that echoes recent moves by Starbucks.

"We've spent years perfecting a highly scalable store model that delivers fresh, high-quality breakfast with the convenience today's guests expect, and now we're accelerating that model across the country," said CEO Jessica DePetro.

The timing lines up with a hot market. Einstein Bros. says the U.S. bagel category has reached $5.8 billion and grows about 5% a year. The company points to research showing 52% of Americans eat bagels at any hour, and it now bakes more than 150 million bagels a year.

Younger customers are fueling the trend. Among rewards members under 35, store visits jumped 22% year over year.

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"Americans have voted with their mornings, and the data is clear: Bagels are winning," DePetro said.

Einstein Bros., part of Panera Brands alongside Panera Bread and Caribou Coffee, isn't the only chain going after the category. New York's PopUp Bagels aims to hit 100 units this year and has a 300-store pipeline backed by investors like Paul Rudd and Michael Strahan. Florida's Jeff's Bagel Run runs about 35 shops with 120 more in the works. Even McDonald's brought back its bagel sandwiches in 2024.

For Einstein Bros., the pitch is straightforward: more stores, more mornings, more bagels.