What Fairmount Bagel does

Fairmount Bagel is a privately held, family-owned artisan bakery headquartered at 74 Fairmount West in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1919 by Isadore Shlafman as Montreal's first bagel bakery, the company continues to operate under the Shlafman family's third generation using the original hand-rolling technique and wood-fired ovens brought from Eastern Europe over a century ago. Production relies on unbleached flour and whole fresh eggs, and the single retail location runs 24 hours per day, seven days a week, serving walk-in customers across the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood.

The product portfolio is concentrated in traditional Montreal-style bagels — over 20 varieties including Sesame Seed, Poppy Seed, Plain, Caraway, All-Dressed, Mueslix, Pumpernickel and specialty flavors — alongside complementary SKUs such as New York Pretzels, Sweet Bagels, Bozo twisted bagels, Bagel Chips, Mini Bagels, and Matzoh in multiple flavors. Distribution is anchored at the physical storefront, augmented by partnerships with Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes, and DoorDash for third-party delivery, plus a dedicated U.S. ordering channel ([email protected]). Revenue is generated almost entirely through direct-to-consumer one-time bagel sales plus transactional delivery fees; no wholesale, licensing, or franchising model is indicated. The business employs 11 people and has raised no external institutional funding.

Customer concentration is structurally low — a long tail of individual consumers and tourists, supplemented by community-group donations — and marketing relies primarily on earned media (Reader's Digest 2007, The Gazette 1981, Point-à-Callière 2013 exhibition), organic social (Facebook, Instagram), and review platforms (Yelp, Tripadvisor) rather than paid acquisition. The company's strategic posture emphasizes brand heritage and authentic craft over technological modernization or rapid geographic expansion.

Name

Fairmount Bagel

Legal name

Fairmount Bagel Bakery Inc.

Website

https://fairmountbagel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fairmount Bagel is a family-owned Montreal bakery founded in 1919 that hand-rolls and wood-fires over 20 varieties of traditional Montreal-style bagels, selling direct-to-consumer at its single 24/7 Fairmount Street storefront and via Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes, and DoorDash.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Bagel Bakery

NAICS

Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Retail Bakeries (311811), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181), Commercial Bakeries (311812)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Bread & Pastry Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Hand-rolled bagels
• Wood-fired bakery
• Montreal-style bagels
• Artisanal bakery
• Retail bagel shop

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail bagel sales: Direct sales of freshly baked bagels and related products (Matzoh, bagel chips, mini bagels, pretzels) to consumers at the physical store location and via take-out orders.
2. Third-party delivery: Revenue generated through delivery partnerships with Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes, and DoorDash platforms, offering bagel delivery to customers' doors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fairmount Bagel is a Montreal retail bakery that produces and sells hand-rolled, wood-fired oven-baked bagels and related baked goods. The product line includes over 20 bagel varieties, specialty items such as Bozo twisted bagels, sweet bagels, mini bagels, New York pretzels, matzoh flatbreads, and bagel chips. The bakery operates a single 24/7 storefront in Montreal and also sells through third-party delivery platforms (Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes, DoorDash).

Product overview

Fairmount Bagel is a traditional Montreal bakery offering hand-rolled, wood-fired bagels and related baked goods. The product portfolio centers on the core bagel offering available in over 20 varieties (Sesame Seed, Poppy Seed, Plain, Caraway, Onion, Garlic, All-Dressed, Mueslix, Cranberry, Whole Wheat, Multi-Grain, Blueberry, Chocolate, Raspberry Chocolate, Cinnamon and Raisin, Pumpernickel, Pumpernickel Swirl, Canadian, Coffee, and Pina Colada), along with specialty items including Bozo and Rainbow Bozo twisted bagels, Sweet Bagels, New York Pretzels, and Matzoh Bread in multiple flavors. The bakery operates 24/7, producing fresh bagels continuously using traditional methods brought from the old country by founder Isadore Shlafman in 1919.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sesame Seed Bagel Classic hand-rolled bagel made with unbleached flour and topped with sesame seeds, baked in a wood-fired oven. Sold directly to consumers at the Montreal storefront and via delivery apps.
• Poppy Seed Bagel Original hand-rolled bagel variety made with unbleached flour and topped with poppy seeds, baked in a wood-fired oven. Sold at the Montreal storefront.
• Plain Bagel Hand-rolled plain bagel made with unbleached flour for purists, designed to be enjoyed on its own without toppings. Baked in a wood-fired oven.
• Caraway Seed Bagel Hand-rolled bagel heavy on caraway seeds, made with unbleached flour and baked in a wood-fired oven. Sold at the Montreal storefront.
• Onion Bagel Hand-rolled bagel topped with onions and poppy seeds, made with unbleached flour and baked in a wood-fired oven.
• Garlic Bagel Pungent hand-rolled bagel made with garlic and unbleached flour, baked in a wood-fired oven.
• All-Dressed Bagel Hand-rolled bagel topped with a mixture of onion, garlic, caraway, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and coarse salt, made with unbleached flour.
• Mueslix Bagel Hand-rolled bagel made with 100% organic whole wheat flour, natural honey, triticale flakes, oat flakes, millet, sesame seeds, and raisins.
• Cranberry Bagel Hand-rolled bagel made with cranberry, designed to be enjoyed on its own or with favorite toppings.
• Whole Wheat Bagel No-egg hand-rolled bagel made with 100% organic whole wheat flour and natural honey, topped with sesame seeds.
• Multi-Grain Bagel No-egg hand-rolled bagel with a hearty blend of nutritious grains, 100% organic whole wheat flour, all-natural honey, malt flour, and sesame seed coating.
• Blueberry Bagel Hand-rolled bagel made with unbleached flour and blueberry, baked in a wood-fired oven.
• Chocolate Bagel Hand-rolled bagel made with unbleached flour, chocolate chips, and orange zest, baked in a wood-fired oven.
• Raspberry Chocolate Bagel Hand-rolled bagel made with unbleached flour, chocolate chips, raspberry flavor, and orange zest, baked in a wood-fired oven.
• Cinnamon and Raisin Bagel Hand-rolled bagel made with unbleached flour, juicy raisins, and the finest cinnamon available, baked in a wood-fired oven.
• Pumpernickel Bagel Hand-rolled bagel made with unbleached flour and blended with a European heart of rye sour, baked in a wood-fired oven.
• Pumpernickel Swirl Bagel Hand-rolled bagel made with unbleached flour mixed with a pumpernickel rye sourdough swirl, baked in a wood-fired oven.
• Canadian Bagel Patriotic sesame hand-rolled bagel representing Canada, baked in a wood-fired oven.
• Coffee Bagel Hand-rolled coffee-flavored bagel made with unbleached flour and baked in a wood-fired oven.
• Pina Colada Bagel Hand-rolled bagel made with unbleached flour and blended with Pina Colada flavor, baked in a wood-fired oven.
• New York Pretzels Pretzels sprinkled with coarse salt, designed to be enjoyed with mustard. Hand-prepared and baked in a wood-fired oven.
• Bozo Bagel Three bagels twisted into one giant bagel with sesame seeds on one side and poppy seeds on the other; designed as a sharing-sized specialty item.
• Rainbow Bozo Bagel Three colored bagels twisted into one giant Bozo bagel, topped with sesame and poppy seeds. Specialty sharing-sized item.
• Sweet Bagel Hard and sweet bagel similar to biscotti, made with fresh eggs and unbleached flour; intended to be enjoyed with coffee or used as a baby teething ring.
• Sesame Seed Matzoh Flat, crunchy matzoh bread made with 100% organic whole wheat flour with sesame seeds and salt.
• Poppy Seed Matzoh Flat, crunchy matzoh bread made with unbleached flour, poppy seeds, and salt.
• Garlic Matzoh Flat, crunchy matzoh bread made with unbleached flour, garlic, and salt.
• Onion Matzoh Flat, crunchy matzoh bread made with unbleached flour with onions, poppy seeds, and salt.
• Bagel Chips Crispy bagel chips available in multiple varieties; a shelf-stable byproduct/extension of Fairmount's fresh bagel line.
• Mini Bagels Miniature bagels made with unbleached flour and fresh eggs, served as hors-d'oeuvres or snacks; available by special order only.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bagels delivered to International Space Station in 2008
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NASA / Gregory ChamitoffminorOthers · 1 May 2008Astronaut Gregory Chamitoff, cousin of the Shlafman family, took Fairmount Bagels aboard the STS-124 space shuttle mission to the International Space Station in May 2008. This resulted in significant media coverage and brand visibility.
• Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFairmount Bagel partners with Uber Eats to offer bagel delivery services to customers in Montreal. This partnership allows customers to order fresh bagels for home delivery through the Uber Eats platform.
• Skip the DishescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Canadian food delivery platform Skip the Dishes enabling bagel delivery to Fairmount Bagel customers.
• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDoorDash partnership for food delivery services, allowing customers to receive Fairmount Bagel products through the DoorDash platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Beauty Bagel: Montreal-based bagel shop expanding into a small chain, offering hand-rolled bagels in the Montreal style. Competes in the same metro market with a more contemporary café-format positioning.
• Bagelstein: French bagel chain operating a casual-dining bagel concept across France. Comparable to Fairmount as a bagel-specialty retail brand, though operating in a different geography and a more franchised model.
• Première Moisson: Quebec-based artisan bakery chain producing breads, pastries and bagels across multiple retail locations in Canada. Provides a regional comparison for how a Quebec craft bakery can scale into a multi-store retail operation.
• Au Pain Doré: Montreal-area bakery chain specializing in artisan breads and pastries. Represents a Quebec specialty bakery brand that has grown into multiple locations, contrasting with Fairmount's single-store heritage model.

Broad incumbents

• Einstein Bros Bagels: The largest bagel-specialty chain in North America, operating a national franchise model across the US. Demonstrates the scale-up path from a single specialty bakery to a national brand, contrasting with Fairmount's single-store footprint.
• Tim Hortons: Canada's largest quick-service bakery and coffee chain, with thousands of locations nationwide. Represents the mass-market baked-goods competitor that captures mainstream breakfast demand away from artisan bakeries like Fairmount.
• Bruegger's Bagels: Long-standing US bagel chain serving freshly baked bagels and breakfast sandwiches through a national retail footprint. Represents the franchise/chain model of bagel retail versus Fairmount's artisan family-bakery model.

Direct peers

• St-Viateur Bagel Shop: Founded in 1957, St-Viateur is Montreal's other iconic wood-fired, hand-rolled bagel bakery and Fairmount's most direct heritage competitor. Both shops serve the same Montreal market with the same artisan Montreal-style bagel technique and a comparable tourism-driven retail model.
• Hershl's Montreal Bagels: A Montreal bagel bakery using wood-fired ovens and hand-rolling methods similar to Fairmount's. Competes for the same local bagel consumer and tourist market.

Emerging players

• New York Bagel: Multi-location bagel shop offering the New York-style bagel category. While positioned on the rival NYC bagel tradition, it competes for the broader North American consumer demand for fresh, regional-style bagels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fairmountbagel
• Instagraminstagram.com/fairmountbagel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fairmount-bagel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fairmount Bagel