For family reasons, I have been going back and forth to Ottawa on a regular basis for the past year and a half. I absolutely love the nation’s capital, notably its restaurant scene. My discovery of Kettlemans Bagel last year and meeting the founder Craig Buckley was indeed a highlight, especially when he revealed to me that not only was he a native of Montreal – but more than 30 years after establishing his first location in Ottawa, expansion was coming to our fair city.
On January 10, Kettlemans Bagel officially opened its first location in Quebec steps from the Bell Centre on Avenue des Canadiens.
A big thanks to Buckley, President Amer Wahab and Communications Manager Emma Latreille for the VIP tour. I also got to meet lead staff people Ziad Zeidov and Azahara Munoz.
Open 24/7, 365 days a year, Kettlemans offers delicious sandwiches on hand-rolled Montreal bagels which are hand rolled, kettled, and baked in a specially-designed oven.
Buckley opened the first Kettlemans Bagel in Ottawa in 1993. Today, Kettlemans operates seven other locations in Ottawa, Toronto, and Whitby. By rolling, kettling, and baking traditional Montréal bagels, Kettlemans upholds an unwavering commitment to the traditional quality of our food and strives to persuade every guest to come back again and again.
The kitchen staff has been boosted by 10 experienced staffers from Ottawa and Toronto the first week to help get things rolling. As you make your way through the queue line the fridges have an endless array of homemade cream cheese, banana and lemon bread, pizza bagels, knishes, latkes, smoked salmon, Chicago-style pickles and a whole lot more. When you get to the counter, besides the different flavored bagels, you can choose from some delicious danishes and sweets. There are places to sit. You will be given a pager and called when your order is ready. This place will indeed be rock and rolling before and after any large-scale Bell Centre events!
And here is some fresh news I can share with you. Kettlemans plans to open a second Quebec location in 2023 in Dollard des Ormeaux!
For more details log on to www.kettlemansbagels.ca
Here is my video chat with Buckley.