Ess-a-Bagel Moving Flagship Location from 51st & 3rd, Reopening 3 Blocks South
The line at Ess-a-Bagel’s 831 3rd Ave location has stretched down the block for 32 years
Ess-a-Bagel is moving on from its flagship location at 51st Street and 3rd Avenue, the Midtown corner that has defined the New York bagel experience for 32 years. The shop will move three blocks south to 770 3rd Ave at the base of The Buchanan, a 286-unit residential building spanning the block between 47th and 48th Streets. The move comes “Due to huge growth and the desire to make the Ess-a-Bagel experience even better for customers,” says CEO Melanie Frost.
Email from a commercial broker looking to lease the space, obtained by BagelUp
Brokers recently began circulating listings for the 831 Third Avenue space, suggesting that a major change was underway.
Around the same time, Commercial Observer reported that Ess-a-Bagel had signed a lease for 2,385 square feet at The Buchanan.
Taken together, the signs pointed to Midtown’s most famous bagel corner entering its next chapter, a move later confirmed to BagelUp by representatives from Ess-a-Bagel.
The new shop is expected to open in the second quarter of 2026, with both locations operating concurrently during the transition. For many, the move carries significant weight. The 51st and 3rd store has long been arguably the top landmark for tourists seeking an authentic New York bagel experience, and would queue down the block for Ess-a’s signature big, fluffy, hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels.
Despite the lines, it was still beloved by locals who knew how to circumvent this with the Express Counter, where bagels and schmear could be had without a long wait.
Nathan Turtledove, Strategy and Operations Lead at Ess-a-Bagel, explained the decision. “The 51st Street space is 32 years old. We could never have imagined the scale we’d reach. We’ve simply outgrown it, and are excited to stay connected with and welcome our same community into the beautiful new flagship store just down the road.”
The new flagship location will preserve the craft while improving flow and capacity. Bagels will continue to be hand-rolled and kettle-boiled on site, and the Express Counter will remain for bagel-and-schmear purists. “We want people to feel the same old-school Ess-a-Bagel charm,” Nathan said. “Only now with a smoother experience and, for our employees, basement ceilings you don’t have to duck under.”
Much of the new footprint will be used for production to meet growing demand. The move reflects both Ess-a’s evolution and its enduring place in New York’s food culture.
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