NORWALK, CT — Upper Crust Bakery and Café, a popular bagel shop with locations in Darien and New Canaan, will soon open a new store in Norwalk.
Owner Charly Sahlia confirmed Thursday plans to open a third location at 19 First Street in the East Norwalk section of the city.
While no official opening date has been set yet, Sahlia said he hopes to open the Norwalk store within the next few weeks.
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“The whole area of East Norwalk is really underserved, I think,” Sahlia said to Patch. “There’s a beautiful neighborhood there that I feel is up and coming. It’s a real nice neighborhood.”
Sahlia said he has a number of friends who live in the area and have been telling him for years he should open a bagel shop in East Norwalk.
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“It’s exactly the kind of target market that I have in mind,” Sahlia said. “It’s a neighborhood kind of hangout place. A neighborhood bakery kind of thing…it’s a really nice area in general.”
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Although the Norwalk store will be smaller than the Darien and New Canaan stores, customers familiar with those locations can expect a similar menu and vibe.
“[Customers in Norwalk] should stop by and give us a try,” Sahlia said. “We would love to get to know people…because it’s a lot of repeat customers in general, you get to know customers very well.”
Featuring a menu that also includes items like sandwiches, creative spreads and coffee, Sahlia said the store’s bagels are what really sets UCBC apart from other cafés and bagel shops in the area.
“It’s a high-quality bagel that’s been around for over 25 years,” Sahlia said. “I’ve owned [UCBC] for about 13 or 14 years, and the bagels are better than anything around, I think.”
Equally as important, however, is UCBC’s efforts to connect with community members, help out and really be a part of the neighborhoods they are serving.
“We participate in a lot of school events, church events, not for profit 5K runs,” Sahlia said. “We always support junior sports teams in the Rowayton, Darien and New Canaan area, so I’m excited to be part of the East Norwalk community.”
Sahlia also plans to hold a grand opening event, which will be open to the public, once the new store is up and running. Through events like these and other efforts, he hopes to establish a feeling of community inside the shop right from the beginning.
“It’s the most important thing we do,” Sahlia said. “That makes all the difference.”
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