Lefty’s Bagels opens April 13 in Chesterfield
Brothers-in-law Doug Goldenberg and Scott “Lefty” Lefton grow their business from a shared bakery kitchen to their own newly expanded shop.
Courtesy of Lefty's Bagels
Assorted bagel varieties at Lefty's Bagels
Photo by George Mahe
Lefty’s Bagels (13359 Olive) built its reputation for perfect old-school bagels largely via word of mouth. So when brothers-in-law Doug Goldenberg and Scott “Lefty” Lefton announced plans last July to grow the business from a shared bakery kitchen to their own newly expanded shop on Olive Boulevard in Chesterfield, the news quickly buzzed through the community. Now opening day is finally set for tomorrow, April 13. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Menu
Lefton and Goldenberg have mastered the classic New York style of fermenting the dough overnight, carefully shaping each bagel, boiling them in malt water, then baking them on traditional burlap-topped wooden boards. They have always used certified kosher ingredients, but now their bagels and schmears are certified kosher by Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham of B'nai Amoona Congregation. During the past few months, Goldenberg and Lefton also adjusted their dough recipe so all of their bagels are vegan.
Courtesy of Lefty's Bagels
Owners Scott Lefton (foreground) and Doug Goldenberg
“Scott and I both agree that the bagels we’re making now are better than ever,” Goldenberg says. Varieties include the traditional—plain, poppy, sesame, everything, tzitzel, onion, and salt—as well as specialty flavors—for instance, cinnamon-raising, six cheese, chocolate chip, whole wheat, blueberry, and pumpernickel.
At the new location, customers can see the whole baking process in action within the open kitchen. Customers will also be able to see the full menu, which now includes breakfast and lunch sandwiches. At the same time, to help give their new team the opportunity to get used to the fast pace, Goldenberg and Lefton are initially limiting the options "but only slightly," says Lefton. "We'll have 80 percent of the menu available on day one."
“Other than our bagels, everything is new on the menu,” Goldenberg says. “My favorite thing is the variety of smoked fish, especially the smoked trout.” Lefty’s has the hand-smoked fish flown in weekly from Samaki Smoked Fish Co. in New York’s Hudson Valley. The meats—corned beef brisket, pastrami brisket, turkey breast, turkey breast pastrami—come from the renowned Sy Ginsberg's Meat & Deli and is the only place in St. Louis to get them. The bagels and schmears are all certified kosher.
For those wondering about the price of a freshly cooked bagel, at Lefty's singles are $1.95, $8.95 for a half-dozen, and $14.95 per dozen.
The Atmosphere
Photo by George Mahe
The space currently seats 16 and the wall art "will be worth the wait," promises co-owner Doug Goldenberg.
“We modeled our interior on the 1920s and The Great Gatsby," Goldenberg says. "It will be like stepping into New York.” It’s an ocean away from the French café-inspired décor at the Lefty's Bagels' previous home, The Trolley Stop Bakery (a.k.a. The Bakers Hub) in Chesterfield, where Lefty’s had shared space at the commissary kitchen with other startup bakers since they started selling bagels commercially in 2021.
The new location offers tables for customers to dine in and enjoy the retro ambiance. Even the ornate gold trim around the front windows at the new calls to mind the Jazz Age. Bagel-lovers waiting in line for the soft opening will have plenty of time to admire the exterior artwork from the sidewalks of the Woodchase Shopping Center.
“We’re anticipating it to be insanely busy,” Goldenberg predicts. “People would line up even in our old community kitchen before we opened, and this new location has been a long time coming.”
The Team
Lefty’s started as a bagel-making hobby that Lefton shared with family and close friends. As he honed his family recipe, his passion grew—and he discovered that his brother-in-law shared the same passion. Thanks to Goldenberg’s professional food service background and Lefton’s bagel know-how, the duo’s launch into the baking business was an immediate success.
The new shop is the first time they’ve assembled a full food-service team in support of their baking, and Goldenberg says they’re looking forward to the opportunity to make more bagels, offer more options, and feed more customers.
Goldenberg and Lefton have always maintained that sourcing high-quality ingredients and honoring traditional baking methods are important to them, both as culinary professionals and because of the historic connection to their Jewish identity. Lefty’s transition from solely a bakery into a New York-style Jewish deli complete with salads, soups, meats and desserts will reflect those same values.
