It’s another great Colorado success story: taking a little hobby they started during the pandemic and turning it into an award-winning small business.
Add in, that their winning cream cheese, not one out of Denver, has “Colorado’ written all over it, it makes you want to visit their shop in Colorado Springs. OK, you don’t have to drive that far; you can order their cream cheese online.
What Colorado Bagel Shop has the Award-Winning Cream Cheese?
Bella’s Bagels, in the northern part of Colorado Springs, is owned/operated by a husband/wife who began this side project in the midst of the pandemic, then onto farmers markets, then their own brick-and-mortar spot.
What Was the ‘Shmear of the Year’ That Bella’s Bagels Entered?
You would have a hard time trying to come up with a cream chees that sounds more Colorado than Bella’s Bagels “Pueblo Green Chili Cream Cheese.” Just reading it, makes your mouth water, doesn’t it?
At What Event Did Bella’s Bagels Win ‘Shmear of the Year?’
In 2019, a group of 300 local bagel enthusiasts in a New York neighborhood (Bushwick) came up with the Brooklyn BagelFest. Since then, the event has grown into the industry’s premier trade and consumer show, BagelFest. On April 12, 2026, they introduced BagelFest West, in Los Angeles.
Imagine, less than five years after opening, traveling to L.A. and taking on some of the “big hitters” when it comes to bagels. You can hear people say, “But, they’re from Colorado! What do they know about bagels!” The husband of Bella’s, is from New Jersey, so that counts…