Don Guerra’s Barrio Bagel & Slice is not your average bagel shop. For one, it’s owned by a James Beard Award winner. Secondly, it’s located at a converted Sonic Drive-In in Gilbert. Most impressively, however, is that the drive-thru’s artisan bagels couldn’t be further from your run-of-the-mill Einstein Bros. Bagels.
Co-created and co-owned by Guerra (the bread maker extraordinaire behind Tucson’s famous bakery, Barrio Bread) and Oren Molovinsky, a nationally renowned restaurateur, farmer, developer and contractor, Barrio Bagel & Slice has earned the title of “a drive-thru worth driving through.” At the heart of this new take on fast-casual dining is high-quality ingredients, scratch-made bagels, bread and more.
“We want our wholesome, high-quality, healthy foods to be accessible to our entire community,” says Guerra. “Barrio Bagel & Slice is the next step in the evolution of our mission to be community-supported and customer-centered while redefining the concept of fast-casual dining.”
A Drive-Thru Worth Driving Through
Guerra and Molovinsky chose the Sonic Drive-In on 689 N. Arizona Ave. because of its prime location in the rapidly growing community of Gilbert; the buildout’s ample covered parking; and its nostalgic, old-school drive-thru charm. The reimagined space is a comforting blend of the quintessential bagel café and a charming by-the-slice pizzeria. Designed to be a welcoming atmosphere—both through its convenience and design—Barrio Bagel & Slice pays homage to the owner’s Arizona roots with hand-painted murals from Signs by Kurt and Great Not Good Co…