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Detroit’s Core City neighborhood is about to get a whole lot tastier. For the first time in years, the aroma of freshly baked bagels will once again waft through the streets of this up-and-coming enclave. Beloved local chef Max Sussman – a James Beard Award-nominated talent and Metro Detroit native – is bringing his passion project, Bev’s Bagels, to a permanent shop in Core City. It’s a homecoming for both bagels and a hometown chef, and neighbors couldn’t be more excited. This development blends Detroit bagels history with the city’s ongoing revitalization, serving up a story that’s equal parts foodie fantasy and community pride.

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Bagels Make a Comeback in Core City

Bagels are making a comeback to Detroit’s Core City neighborhood. For locals who fondly remember the Detroit Institute of Bagels (DIB) – the previous bagel shop that once occupied 4884 Grand River Avenue – the news of Bev’s Bagels opening in that same space feels like a full-circle moment. DIB was a beloved spot, and its abrupt closure in 2023 left a bagel-shaped hole in the community. The building itself has quite the culinary legacy: it was originally home to the nationally acclaimed Ochre Bakery, which Bon Appétit named the #4 best new restaurant in America in 2019. When Ochre closed its doors, DIB moved in, only to shutter a few years later amid an ownership change. Now, Bev’s Bagels Detroit will carry forward the torch – and the schmear – bringing fresh energy (and dough) to this storied address.

The excitement in Core City is palpable. After years without a dedicated neighborhood bagel shop, residents and visitors are eager to once again have a place for their morning Detroit bagels and coffee. Chef Max Sussman recognized this void and jumped at the chance to restore what he calls “something that was so special to the community and still so needed”. In other words, Bev’s Bagels isn’t just another eatery opening its doors – it’s a homecoming. Core City is welcoming back an old friend (the bagel) but with a new, gourmet twist thanks to Sussman’s award-worthy culinary skills.

Chef Max Sussman Brings Passion and Pedigree Home

Who exactly is the chef behind this bagel renaissance? Max Sussman might ring a bell for food enthusiasts – he’s a metro Detroit native from Huntington Woods who made a name for himself in the wider culinary world. In the early 2010s, Max and his brother Eli Sussman took New York City by storm with inventive cooking and even a bit of foodie humor. Max earned a spot as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2012, and together the Sussman brothers published celebrated cookbooks and ran popular restaurants. After a decade in NYC’s high-profile food scene, Max decided to bring his skills back home to Michigan in 2020.

Back in Michigan, Max’s creativity didn’t slow down for a minute. When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the restaurant industry, he pivoted to pop-ups, channeling fond food memories and new ideas. One of those pop-ups was Bev’s Bagels, launched in the Ann Arbor area as a passion project and homage to his heritage. The concept – named after Max’s grandmother, Beverly – allowed Sussman to lean into his Jewish roots and his love of baking. “Making bagels is a huge passion of mine and I’m so excited to offer really great bagels to Detroit,” Sussman said of the project’s new chapter. For him, it’s personal: Bev’s Bagels celebrates traditional bagel-making techniques passed down through generations, while infusing creative flavors that reflect his own culinary adventures.

It’s not every day that a James Beard-nominated chef decides that bagels are the thing he wants to bring to a city, but Max isn’t your average chef. “I get kind of obsessive about making things because I’m a chef,” he admits. In this case, that obsession is directed at crafting the perfect bagel – the kind he “personally really want[s] to eat,” which, it turns out, is exactly what other people want too. From his years cooking in Brooklyn pizzerias to co-founding a trendy shawarma spot in NYC, Sussman has done a bit of everything. But bagels hold a special place in his heart. By bringing Bev’s Bagels to Detroit, Max Sussman is not only coming home, he’s also betting that Core City’s restaurants scene is ready for the kind of quality and creativity he’s known for.

In addition to Bev’s Bagels, Sussman has big plans on the horizon (he’s opening an Italian-American restaurant in Ann Arbor later this year), but right now his focus is squarely on Detroit’s bagel revival. The fact that he chose Core City for Bev’s brick-and-mortar location speaks volumes. Sussman saw something special in this neighborhood – its mix of history, community, and momentum – that made it the perfect place to plant roots for his new venture. As a chef who has cooked for some of the most discerning diners in New York and Detroit, he’s bringing pedigree and passion to Core City, and locals are ready to savor every bite.

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Bev’s Bagels: Handcrafted Taste and a Creative Menu

What can Detroiters expect when Bev’s Bagels opens its doors? In short, a bagel experience that’s both authentically old-school and boldly inventive. Max Sussman isn’t cutting any corners in the bagel-making process. Every bagel at Bev’s will be hand-rolled using organic flour and a touch of whole grains, started with a sourdough culture that gives extra depth of flavor. The dough is then allowed to cold-proof overnight, developing that perfect yeasty aroma and the ideal balance of chewiness and crust. In true time-honored fashion, each bagel is boiled and then baked to achieve the classic shiny crust and soft interior. Sussman’s obsessive attention to detail means these bagels are likely to rival the best you’d find in New York or Montreal – a point of pride for Detroit’s growing food scene.

But Bev’s is not just about bagels with cream cheese (though, if you’re a purist, a simple schmear on one of these fresh bagels will surely hit the spot). The menu is where Chef Max’s creativity really shines. Bev’s Bagels will offer an array of “creative schmears, wild-caught fish, and seasonal flavors” to pair with those traditional bagels. You might find a velvety dill and cucumber cream cheese in the summer or a spiced squash spread in the fall – the kind of toppings that make you stop and savor. Sussman has teased that he’s “pretty obsessive over the details” and that the sandwiches will have “amazing components, from creative schmears to wild smoked fish to ethically sourced meats”. In other words, expect the unexpected on the sandwich menu. One day you might see a classic lox and cream cheese combo with a twist of pickled herbs, and the next day, a completely original creation like the pop-up special “St. Paddy’s Snake Remover,” a corned beef and cabbage bagel sandwich on a festive green bagel.

Here are some delicious features Bev’s Bagels is set to bring Detroit bagel lovers:

Hand-Rolled, Sourdough Bagels: Made from organic flour and fermented with a sourdough starter for that extra flavor punch and perfect chew. Each bagel is boiled and baked the traditional way.
Creative Schmears: Think beyond plain cream cheese. Look out for unique, seasonal cream cheese spreads (schmears) with herbs, veggies, and maybe a touch of Michigan flavor.
Artisan Sandwiches: From classic smoked salmon with dill to inventive combos like gourmet pastrami or veggie-centric creations, the bagel sandwiches will be stacked high with fresh, ethically sourced ingredients.
Wild-Caught Fish: As a nod to old-school deli fare, expect options like wild-caught smoked salmon and perhaps other cured or smoked fish to adorn your bagel, prepared with Sussman’s signature flair.
Local Coffee & Drinks: No bagel breakfast is complete without a good cup of joe. Bev’s will serve drip coffee (and likely locally roasted beans) to round out the menu, plus beverages to make it a one-stop morning shop.
Catering & Wholesale Plans: Sussman doesn’t intend to stop at just walk-in service. The shop plans to offer catering (imagine spicing up your next office meeting with artisanal bagels) and even has eyes on wholesale, so other Metro Detroit dining establishments might soon feature Bev’s bagels on their menus.

From a practical standpoint, Bev’s Bagels is aiming to open its Core City doors in late spring 2025, with operating hours seven days a week to satisfy daily cravings. Whether you’re grabbing a single bagel on the go or a baker’s dozen for the family, you’ll be able to swing by any day of the week. The shop will occupy the Grand River Ave storefront that long-time Detroit foodies will remember as the former home of Detroit Institute of Bagels and Ochre Bakery. Stepping into Bev’s, you’ll be stepping into a space that has been lovingly reimagined once more – retaining the legacy of great bagels while giving it a fresh new vibe. With a warm, welcoming interior and the aroma of bagels and fresh coffee enveloping you, it might just become your new favorite morning hangout.

bevsbagels, instagram

From DIB to Bev’s: A Space with a Bagel Legacy

It’s worth noting how significant this particular location is to locals. The address 4884 Grand River Avenue isn’t just any spot – it’s a symbol of Core City’s recent culinary journey. Back in 2019, Ochre Bakery put Core City on the map by serving some of the best pastries and sandwiches in town (so good that it gained national fame). Ochre’s success proved that this somewhat hidden neighborhood could draw Detroiters from all over for great food. When Ochre Bakery closed in 2020, the baton was passed to the Detroit Institute of Bagels, fondly known as DIB. DIB had already developed a cult following from its original Corktown location, and its move into Core City felt like a natural continuation of the area’s foodie momentum. Bagel fans rejoiced – for a while.

DIB operated in Core City, delighting customers with its boiled-and-baked bagels and hefty breakfast sandwiches, until it closed indefinitely in mid-2024 amid an ownership change. The sudden closure left many carb-loving Detroiters disappointed (and a lot of Sunday morning routines were upended). The situation was a reminder of how quickly things can change in the restaurant world, even for beloved institutions. For about a year, Core City had no local bagel shop again. The ovens went quiet, and the space’s door was locked, leaving a void in the neighborhood’s food scene.

Now, with Bev’s Bagels moving in, the space is coming back to life – and then some. It’s not lost on the community that bagels are literally coming back home to Core City. Sussman even acknowledged the significance, noting that opening in Core City is “an incredible opportunity to build on something that was so special to the community”. In reviving the bagel tradition at this address, Bev’s Bagels will honor the legacy of DIB (and by extension, Ochre’s pioneering spirit) but also create its own identity. Max Sussman’s vision isn’t to copy what came before, but to elevate it. He’s taking the idea of a neighborhood bagel bakery-deli and adding his personal touch, honed by years of fine dining expertise and a love for Detroit’s food traditions.

The return of a bagel shop to 4884 Grand River also symbolizes Core City’s broader comeback. Food has a way of telling a neighborhood’s story, and in this case, the story is one of resilience and renewal. Three different ventures – a bakery, a bagel shop, and now Bev’s – all saw potential in this spot and this community. Each built on the foundation of the last, adapting to what Detroiters wanted at the time. As we welcome Bev’s Bagels, we’re seeing a new chapter that nods to the past (those who remember lining up at Detroit Institute of Bagels will surely feel a pang of nostalgia walking in) while forging a delicious new future. It’s a full-circle moment that highlights how far Core City restaurants and cafes have come in just a few short years.

Core City: Detroit’s New Foodie Frontier

Once a quiet, largely overlooked area, Core City is fast becoming a destination for foodies and adventurers alike. Tucked just past the northwest border of Corktown and Woodbridge, Core City has always been a close-knit community at heart. For decades it was primarily residential and industrial, a place many Detroiters drove past on their way to somewhere else. But in recent years, a wave of creative investment and entrepreneurial spirit has put Core City on the radar as a place to be – and to eat.

One major catalyst was visionary development by local entrepreneurs (like Philip Kafka of Prince Concepts) who saw potential in Core City’s vacant lots and historic buildings. New residential lofts and creative workspaces have sprung up where empty warehouses once stood. In fact, Kafka’s first project here, True North, transformed a rundown pocket into an award-winning live-work community made of modern Quonset huts – a project so innovative it was named the 2017 Multi-Family Development of the Year. These sorts of projects aren’t just about buildings; they create a vibe. Artists, designers, and young professionals began flocking to Core City for its offbeat charm and affordable space, and soon came the amenities to serve them.

Culinary pioneers were among the first to stake a claim. Ochre Bakery’s success proved that if you build something unique and delicious, people will find their way to it. That tiny bakery’s bright, artsy interior and mouthwatering menu drew everyone from local families to cross-town food explorers. It set the stage for other ventures: a coffee roastery opened nearby, an artisan bread bakery (The Mother Loaf Breads) now operates in the same building that Bev’s Bagels will call home, and rumors swirl about more eateries eyeing the neighborhood. Core City restaurants today range from humble carry-outs to ambitious chef-driven kitchens. Each addition has turned up the heat on Core City’s reputation as a foodie frontier.

What makes Core City particularly special for food lovers is the authenticity. There’s a sense of discovery here. You might find a superb taco truck parked on a side street one day, or stumble upon a small batch coffee tasting in a repurposed garage the next. There’s no pretension – it’s Detroit through and through. Adding Bev’s Bagels to the mix strengthens Core City’s profile as a must-visit dining spot in Metro Detroit. Think about it: within a few blocks, you’ll be able to pick up artisan bread, grab a gourmet bagel sandwich, and sip locally roasted coffee, all while exploring a neighborhood that blends industrial grit with cutting-edge design. It’s the kind of urban adventure that savvy locals love to brag about and curious visitors love to experience.

Things to Do in Core City (Besides Eating Bagels)

Core City may be gaining fame for its food, but there are plenty of other reasons to spend an afternoon here. If you’re planning a visit to check out Bev’s Bagels Detroit, consider these other activities and sights to round out your Core City excursion:

Explore Local Art & Architecture: Take a stroll to see the neighborhood’s unique architecture. The True North development is a striking sight – a cluster of modern Quonset hut structures that house creative studios and residences. Street art and murals can also be spotted on building walls, reflecting the area’s growing arts scene.
Visit a Neighborhood Staple: Just on the edge of Core City along Michigan Avenue, you’ll find classic eateries like Hygrade Deli (a 70+ year-old sandwich shop famous for its corned beef) and Mike’s Famous Ham Place. These old-school joints are part of the fabric of the community. Stopping in for a legendary ham and egg sandwich at Mike’s or a bowl of chili at Hygrade is like tasting a bit of Detroit history.
Enjoy Core City Park: Amid the new developments, look for small green spaces that offer a respite. The people behind True North also created a welcoming communal park area dotted with trees and art installations – a perfect spot to bring your bagel to-go and have a picnic. Kids can stretch their legs here, and you might even meet a few friendly neighbors (Core City is known for its close-knit vibe).
Check Out Local Shops & Studios: While still emerging, Core City has a handful of boutiques and galleries worth poking your head into. You might find a vintage furniture pop-up, a small art gallery, or a workshop where artisans are crafting jewelry or pottery. The creative energy is tangible.
Take in the Surroundings: Core City’s central location means you’re a stone’s throw from other Detroit attractions. If you’re making a day of it, you can easily hop over to nearby Corktown, Midtown, or Mexicantown after your visit. In fact, Core City sits in the core of it all – with easy access to Downtown, Midtown, Corktown, and Mexicantown, Core City more than lives up to its name. Within a 5-10 minute drive, you could be at the Detroit Institute of Arts, a Tigers game at Comerica Park, or touring the renewed Michigan Central Station in Corktown.

By combining a food stop at Bev’s Bagels with a little exploration, you’ll see why Core City is generating so much buzz. It’s the kind of place where you can enjoy a slow Saturday morning, meandering from one cool find to the next – all at a relaxed Detroit pace.

Core City’s Revitalization and Community Appeal

It’s impossible to talk about Core City’s resurgence without noting the broader revitalization of the neighborhood and what it means for residents. Just twenty years ago, this area was facing typical inner-city challenges – disinvestment, a lack of services, and lots of vacant land. But the community never gave up. In the early 2000s, a local nonprofit helped build around 100 new single-family homes and townhouses in Core City, providing quality housing for moderate to low-income residents and stabilizing parts of the neighborhood. Those efforts laid the groundwork for the revival we’re witnessing now.

Fast forward to the 2020s, and Core City has become a magnet not just for artists and food entrepreneurs, but also for homebuyers and renters looking for opportunity. The real estate scene here is as dynamic as the food scene. Prominent developers have invested heavily, with one holding more than 20 acres of land in the area for innovative projects. That kind of attention brings new housing options – from the ultra-modern lofts of True North to renovated historic homes – and with it, a diverse mix of new neighbors joining long-time residents. The result is a genuine community feel. Neighbors greet each other, local block clubs stay active, and there’s a sense that people are building this community together.

For families, Core City offers a unique proposition. It’s close to everything – downtown jobs, cultural institutions, sports venues – yet tucked away enough to maintain a peaceful neighborhood vibe. Parents have started to take notice that while Core City is still “up and coming,” it already has the hallmarks of a great place to raise kids: friendly neighbors, yard space (for those single-family homes), and a spirit of optimism. “I feel good about this area that I live in,” one long-time resident said, noting friendly neighbors and a positive relationship with local police patrols. Of course, like any urban neighborhood, there are challenges (public transit is limited, so having a car helps, and some blocks are still awaiting redevelopment). But the trajectory is undeniably upward. Each new business and each renovated house adds to the sense that Core City’s best days are ahead.

From a real estate perspective, all these developments – the new eateries, parks, and housing – are driving interest in Core City. Savvy locals and even some newcomers from outside the city see opportunity here. It’s one of those rare neighborhoods where you can still snag a fixer-upper or a vacant lot at a reasonable price, and benefit as the area grows. The phrase “buy low, watch it grow” comes to mind. Long-time Detroiters, in particular, appreciate that Core City’s revival is being done with a mix of respect for the existing community and excitement for what’s new. This isn’t a cookie-cutter redevelopment; it’s organic. A chef like Max Sussman choosing Core City for his new venture underscores that appeal – he sees the potential and wants to be part of it, not just as a business owner but as a community member contributing to the neighborhood’s fabric.

For those thinking about making Core City home, even indirectly, the opening of places like Bev’s Bagels is a great sign. It means that by the time you move in or invest here, there will be amenities within walking distance (or a short bike ride) that add to quality of life. Morning strolls for a coffee and bagel, chatting with neighbors at the park, enjoying an art installation on the weekend – these are the little joys that come with a rejuvenated community. Core City is blossoming into a place where you can enjoy an urban lifestyle without giving up the tight-knit, neighborly feel that Metro Detroit’s best neighborhoods are known for.

Experience Core City’s Bagel Revival for Yourself

With all this talk of bagels, community, and growth, the best way to understand Core City’s renaissance is to come experience it firsthand. Plan a visit to Core City soon, and make Bev’s Bagels your first stop. Grab a couple of those hand-crafted bagels (one to eat right away and one for the road, of course) and soak in the atmosphere. You’ll likely be greeted warmly – maybe even by Chef Max Sussman himself, apron on and happy to chat about the day’s special – because that’s the kind of friendly, neighborly place this is.

As you savor your bagel and sip a hot coffee, take a moment to appreciate the surroundings. You’re in the heart of Detroit, in a neighborhood that has seen hard times and good times, and is now firmly on an upswing. Around you are longtime residents who remember how it used to be, and new faces who’ve come for exactly this: a sense of community with an exciting future. It’s not just about one bagel shop or one chef (as delicious and talented as they are) – it’s about the collective energy of Core City.

By the time you finish your breakfast, you might find yourself planning your next trip back. Maybe you’ll return with friends to show them the cool architecture you discovered, or bring your kids to pick out their favorite bagel flavor (cinnamon raisin or “everything,” anyone?). Perhaps you’ll check out a few open houses or lofts for sale, inspired by the thought that living here means having gems like Bev’s Bagels in your backyard. At the very least, you’ll head home knowing you’ve witnessed a part of Detroit’s ongoing story of revival.

Detroit’s Core City welcomes back bagels with open arms, and in doing so, it welcomes all of us to be a part of its next chapter. So here’s your friendly nudge: come be a part of it! Whether you’re a lifelong Detroiter or a curious suburbanite, a foodie on the hunt for the next great bite or a family looking for a fun weekend outing, Core City has something for you. And now, it has the bagels to make your visit extra special. Don’t just read about the revival – taste it for yourself at Bev’s Bagels, and experience the warm, ambitious spirit of a neighborhood that’s on the rise. Detroit’s newest bagel shop is more than a place to eat; it’s a sign of the community coming together, one delicious bite at a time. Welcome back, bagels – we’ve missed you, and we’re ready to celebrate your return in Core City.