Kismet Bagel founders to open Collingswood luncheonette this spring

For the past three years, Jacob and Alexandra Cohen have been a regular fixture at Collingswood’s weekly farmers market, selling bagels to an ever-growing fan base. Now, the couple behind Kismet Bagels is building a permanent home for their loyal South Jersey customers.

This spring, Kismet Bagels will open a second luncheonette-style location in Collingswood, joining its first location in Penn Valley. The menu will mirror that of its sister spot, featuring “bagel sammies” with their signature zhug sauce and schmears, pizza bagels, patty melts, chicken salad sandwiches, brioche doughnuts, and a full coffee program.

During their farmer’s market run, the Cohens built a community of Kismet fans who all asked the same question: Can you open a shop here? The couple began touring properties in the borough about four months ago, and found their match in the former Healthy Garden & Gourmet Pizza space on Haddon Avenue.

“It seemed like the perfect spot for us and we felt it was at the 50-yard line of Collingswood,” Jacob said. “And I couldn’t have asked for a better location being next to our friends at Haddon Culinary — they were one of our early supporters [selling our bagels wholesale].”

Kismet Bagels operates three models: bagel shops in Fishtown and Rittenhouse, a bialy stand at Reading Terminal Market, and luncheonette restaurants in Penn Valley and, soon, Collingswood. The couple stopped selling wholesale about 18 months ago to focus on expanding their bagel footprint. They have plans to open more Pennsylvania locations in 2025.

The luncheonette is designed to be more than just a place to grab a bagel — it’s a gathering spot. There will be 40 to 50 seats in a retro diner-style dining room with counter seating. Folks can order at the cashier and find a seat to dine inside the 2,000-square-foot restaurant, which will have space for private parties. Online ordering via Toast and delivery will be available, too.

“We love getting to see people enjoy our products — we did pop-ups, we did wholesale, and then we really wanted to see people eat and enjoy our bagels,” Alexandra said.

The couple’s suburban locations weren’t part of a deliberate strategy, Alexandra said. The spots just happened to be the right fit for their luncheonette model, she explained.

Their first sit-down restaurant in Lower Merion came about after Jacob’s father, a real estate agent, found a location with plenty of parking. That discovery prompted the Cohens to explore how they could expand their concept.

“[The luncheonette] was three times the size of our city shops — it’s 1,600 square feet in Penn Valley — so that’s where the model was born,” Jacob said. The couple also credits their designer George Murphy, who suggested the luncheonette restaurant, and “then we all kind of ran with it.”

While there’s no opening date yet, the Cohens expect to debut the Collingswood location in the spring, beginning with a friends-and-family event and a soft opening to introduce themselves to the borough.

“I’d love it if we could do a special for a week of chicken cutlet sammies with Haddon Culinary or South Jersey Smoke House for a kippered salmon sandwich,” Jacob said.

“I think the world of Collingswood — the sky’s the limit there,” he added. “I expect us to do really well, be a part of the community, and have something for everybody.”