A new bagel shop from a pair of Dallas bagel veterans has opened in McKinney. Aptly named Bagel Cafe, the shop is serving New York-style bagels in a variety of rainbow colors and patterns at 7001 S. Custer Rd. #400, taking over the space from the boba tea shop TeaLatte Bar.

Bagel Cafe is owned by Lisa and Kyriakos Kouzoukas, who previously owned the well-known Bagel Cafe 21 in Richardson and Bagel Fresh Deli in The Colony. They sold both shops to new ownership in 2023 and 2020, respectively.

“Hopefully we can make Bagel Cafe grow like our other bagel shops, which are very successful,” Kyriakos says. “We’re hoping this will be as successful as those and bring our great product to the McKinney area.”

The couple have been in the bagel business since 1999, when they began operating doughnut and bagel shops in the Boston area before moving to Dallas in 2018, pre-dating a major bagel boom that has hit Dallas-Fort Worth in the past two years.

They use what they describe as a very traditional method of making New York-style bagels, a method that is long and detail-oriented: After mixing the dough and forming a bagel, they let it rise before refrigerating it overnight. The next day, they boil the bagels, then bake them, which gives them the signature, New York-style texture — soft on the inside with a firm exterior.

“We’re excited to show McKinney what a true bagel looks and tastes like,” Kyriakos says. “It has to have that soft chewiness on the inside, and the outside should be a little bit crusty. It’s a unique texture both inside and outside.”

In addition to bagels, the cafe serves Bialys, Polish bread rolls that are similar to bagels. They’re typically seasoned with an onion-poppy seed mixture, and unlike bagels, they’re baked without being boiled first, which makes them less fluffy than bagels.

Bagel Cafe’s menu features 17 bagel flavors and 11 cream cheese spreads. On Fridays-Sundays, they serve rainbow bagels, a plain-flavored bagel dyed bright colors and patterns which has become a signature for the couple.

Prices are standard for bagels: $2.19 for a single bagel, $10.95 for half a dozen, and $17.95 for a baker’s dozen. Rainbow bagels are slightly more expensive, at $3 per bagel.

They also serve a variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, with options including:

• Chicken Salad Club: chicken salad, cheddar, bacon, romaine lettuce, tomato, and mayo
• Turkey Chipotle Club: turkey, bacon, cheddar, romaine, tomato, and chipotle sauce
• Texan: eggs, bacon, pepperjack, chipotle sauce, and guacamole
• The Southwest: eggs, bacon, pepperjack, jalapenos, red onion, and sriracha sauce

Bagel Cafe joins a limited number of bagel shops in McKinney. The city is home to locally owned Benny’s Bagels and a location of Einstein Bros. Bagels.

The Kouzoukas are excited to be located on Custer Road, which is a busy throughway with lots of development. Their spot is also at the intersection of McKinney, Frisco, Allen, and Plano, and they hope to draw in crowds from all four cities.

“We want people to know it’s still us,” Lisa says. “A lot of people were sad when we sold [Bagel Cafe 21 and Bagel Fresh Deli], but we’re glad to be back and serving the community.”