There are bagel shops, and then there are bagel shops with a cream cheese flavor called Cookie Monster.
Philadelphia-based Bagels & Co. officially opened its first Ohio location this month at 220 W. Lane Ave., just steps from Ohio State’s campus. And while fresh bagels and breakfast sandwiches are obviously part of the draw, it’s the schmear case that’s likely to stop first-time visitors in their tracks.
Forget plain cream cheese. At Bagels & Co., you can spread Black Truffle, Mike’s Hot Honey, Cannoli, Birthday Cake, Maple Bacon, or even Hail Caesar! onto your morning bagel. There are more than 20 house-made schmears in total, which means ordering here might actually take longer than eating.
The bagels themselves aren’t exactly shy, either.
Sure, you’ll find the usual Plain, Sesame, and Everything, but they’re sharing shelf space with flavors like Oreo, French Toast, Cheddar Habanero, Rainbow, and the internet-famous Dorito bagel.
If committing to a schmear-and-bagel combo feels like too much pressure, the shop also offers breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, espresso drinks, iced matcha, and something called a Dirty Celsius Soda, which is exactly the kind of sentence that reminds you it’s 2026.
Bagels & Co. soft-opened over the Fourth of July weekend, but its official grand opening is Friday, July 10. The Columbus store marks the company’s first location in Ohio after building a following in the Philadelphia area.
Will Cookie Monster schmear on an Oreo bagel become Columbus’ next viral breakfast order? We can’t promise anything, but we’d be shocked if someone doesn’t try it by the end of the week.
Bagels & Co. is located at 220 W. Lane Ave. and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more info, head over to bagelsandco.com.
Featured image via Bagels & Co. (Facebook)
