Our Story

It all started with a better bagel.

Origins

Bev's started in 2023 as a popup in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Way back in 2020, I moved back to Michigan after having spent 10 years in New York. Being back home was great but there were a few (ok maybe more than a few) things I missed from the East Coast, and bagels were one of them. The fresh, chewy, New York bagel is iconic. But I wanted to do something a little different.

First, I decided to only work with organic flour. There's enough bad stuff out there and I wanted to make something good that I felt good about eating and good about feeding to my friends and family. Second, I decided to make a sourdough bagel. It's not 100% traditional but I love the flavor and the way it makes you feel. I worked on this bagel recipe obsessively and ended up building a micro-bakery in a room in my house. I started selling bagels out of my side door and was soon selling out every week.

Sandwiches came next. Popups around town was where the bulk of the Bev's menu was developed, getting feedback from people and trying out different flavored cream cheeses and sandwich fillings. We opened our first brick and mortar on the corner of Grand River and Warren in 2025 and built a real dining room in 2026. Now you can get Bev's 7 days a week in Detroit, with more locations to come in 2026 and beyond!

Our bagels are a labor of love.

We start with our whole wheat levain, or sourdough starter. This gets fed with organic flour and then mixed into our bagel dough. We shape our bagels and they spend a night proofing and resting in the cooler before we boil and bake in the morning on burlap wrapped boards in the traditional way. When it comes to quality, sourcing and sustainability, Bev's is committed to sustainability. Our bagels are made with all organic flour, and we use only wild caught fish.

Meet the Bagel-in-Chief

Max is an award-winning chef and restaurateur who has published four cookbooks. Max grew up cooking organic food at a summer camp in western Michigan, before moving on to work at the beloved Zingerman's Deli and later as the Chef de Cuisine at eve in Ann Arbor.

After moving to New York, Max worked at the Michelin-starred The Breslin, before moving to Roberta's. Max was chef-de-cuisine at the renowned pizzeria when it received two stars from the New York Times. While there, he also secured a James Beard nomination and a Forbes 30 Under 30 Award. In 2015 Max and his brother Eli founded Samesa, a Middle-Eastern inspired, fast-casual restaurant and catering company in midtown Manhattan.

Before starting Bev's Bagels, Max also created Pizza Replicator, a hugely popular and vaguely Star Trek themed roving pizza popup.

Who is Bev?

Bev was Max's (The Bagel-In-Chief's) grandmother, and the namesake of the shop. Bev's is a tribute to the warmth and generosity she brought to those around her, celebrating the simple joy of sharing great food with great family and friends.

Max Sussman holding a tray of fresh bagels

Press