Sincerely, Bagel
Authors
Jesse Graden
Randi Haugland
Vanita Carrillo-Rush
A Storied Start
A chance meeting makes for a storied start, apt for Scott Edwards Architecture’s Sincerely, Bagel project. We first met the clients, a couple, in front of SEA’s office headquarters when one of them happened to be walking by. They shared that they were starting a bagel shop in Portland and needed help with selecting a location, space planning and design, a company name, and a brand. As more of their story unfolded, we learned that their journey was a winding one, transitioning from corporate jobs to bagel shop dreams. This dream was inspired by their memories of New York bagels every Saturday morning, and a desire to create a neighborhood spot where people can come together, just be themselves, and enjoy an excellent bagel while they do it.
"I remember seeing him standing in our lobby," Principal Jesse Graden recalls. "It was early December, and we were clearing out our office for a holiday event. I just assumed he was a client who was meeting with one of us, but after speaking with him, I realized he had literally just come in off the street after seeing the architectural models in our window. He told me about their vision and we kind of went from there."
This first encounter and those that followed allowed our team to get to know them, developing an understanding of where they’d come from and where they wanted their bagel shop to go. This base of understanding informed a layout and concept, business name, and brand that is fitting of the client and the surrounding neighborhood. In this blog post, we explore how SEA integrated architecture and branding to craft a cohesive narrative and experience.
Interpret Space & Brand
Site Selection, Programming & Concept
Selecting a suitable site was the first step, and SEA joined the clients as they looked at several potential locations. Ultimately, they selected a storefront in “The Ocean”, a colorful collective of micro-restaurants in Portland’s Kerns neighborhood. The space was formerly occupied by a butcher shop and sandwich counter, a great balance of customer-facing and production-focused spaces that fit their shop's needs. The eclectic mix of restaurants and retailers in the area aligned with the vision of the shop as a hyper-local, community centered destination, too.
The concept and programming soon followed, with the storefront’s long, narrow interior informing both. The design concept centers on the owners’ genuine gesture of bringing their treasured memory—bagels on a Saturday morning—to others and letting the simplicity behind that sentiment come through. It’s the simple expression of trying to bring people together over something that we are passionate about and how that idea of welcoming people in resonates in the space. Functionally, SEA’s design needed to account for a front counter, a grab-and-go cooler, seating, restrooms, and a large production kitchen. Because of the space’s former use, much of this existed, but needed to be adjusted to meet the character of this particular bagel shop.
The Name
We knew they wanted the name to reflect their excitement about this new adventure, the sentiment behind why they were doing it, and their friendly nature. Many names were explored and examined using the themes that came out of the initial meeting: Journey, Memories, and Be Yourself. Once narrowed down, we presented each concept alongside our reasoning and brand approach, to the clients, who then selected the name that felt right to them—Sincerely, Bagel. Sincerely, Bagel got to the heart of their goals and was a way for them to write a letter to their life-changing journey leading up to opening the shop. Plus it was fun.
Realizing Brand & Space
The Brand
With the name chosen, we developed three Sincerely, Bagel brand directions; one that was sentimental, one nostalgic, and an unexpected wildcard inspired by the fun adventure they were embarking upon. The wildcard option quickly stood out to the clients as it expresses their goal of a bright and inviting brand and experience.
The Space
The long, narrow configuration of the shop necessitated an approach that pulls patrons inside and signals that it’s okay to move beyond the immediate threshold. One method applied to do this was a built-in bench that spans nearly the length of one wall, encouraging visitors to walk further inside and take a seat. The bench responds to the theme of a journey, with echoes of a quintessential park bench in its presentation.
Other furniture pieces were selected to be movable, including 2-tops and chairs along the bench, reconfigurable depending on group size. Movable furniture pieces were also selected to serve as cabinetry and display counters, unassuming and simple in alignment with the concept and brand. This also allows the clients to move them and make more space for production when the shop is closed. The brand manifests in the space through color, too. The playful color palette appears on the floor, on the walls, and on the furniture, which was customized by working with the manufacturer to get colored bases.
“Sincerely” is a heartful salutation, a sentiment of appreciation for the reader’s time. Sincerely, Bagel’s space and brand convey this same simple idea—welcoming people in, sharing something with them, thanking them for their time, and, perhaps unspoken, inviting them to come back. SEA’s work also reflects our client's vision of honoring their journey and their memories in a place and an experience, both ideas that we feel come through in the results. Thanks, you two, for trusting us with your dream!
