Chewy’s Bagels

Chewy’s does make very good bagels, that’s the reason I’ve continued to come back. Unfortunately, the customer service has been consistently poor, and after multiple experiences, it’s hard to justify returning. There’s an ongoing attitude here that customers are inconveniences rather than people being served. It often feels like they’re doing you a favor simply by allowing you to order. Two experiences stand out: On one visit, my mother was dealing with a medical issue and urgently needed to eat. We arrived while the store was still open, with about 10 minutes until closing. Even after calmly explaining the situation, we were refused service outright. I understand boundaries around closing time, but there was zero compassion or flexibility shown. Most recently, I was purchasing a dozen bagels and noticed pre-bagged bulk bagels in plastic bags off to the side. Since I was traveling and needed the bagels to stay fresh for a couple of days, I asked if mine could be placed in those same bags. The first cashier was kind and said yes. Then another employee stepped in (green hair) and made several unnecessary side comments about how “they don’t do that” and how the bags “wouldn’t keep them fresher anyway.” The tone was dismissive and uncomfortable, especially considering I was spending a significant amount of money and simply asking for a reasonable accommodation. It’s disappointing because the product is good — but good bagels don’t excuse consistently poor, unfriendly service. I want to support local businesses, but being treated like an annoyance makes that difficult.

Great vibe in middle of Carytown. Bagels are delicious, seating area is clean, cool artwork and nice servers. The coffee options include expressos but limited if you want to customize. But for bagels, their core business, there’s many different sourdough flavors and many smears! Be ready to wait in line due to long queues, so it’s best to order in advance on app!

The espresso and the cold brew were great. (I could only wish the cold brew used cold brew ice cubes) Bagels seemed fresh and yummy. It was spacious inside. The people who worked there seemed nice and helpful.

Bagels are a highly debated topic here in Richmond. “This place does this, this place does that” etc etc etc. In my experience, which is a few years in New York City, and having baked professionally, I can firmly say Chewy’s bagels are the best bagels I’ve had in my entire life. The crust on the outside, the soft centers. The consistency on their bagels is great too. The only negative I could say is they sell out early and they have a line early, but the line goes quickly. Their bagels are the star of the show, but I have also enjoyed their breakfast sandwiches.

Be ready for a wait...in fact the line was outside the store at about 9am on a Saturday. Note to self, get there earlier. But it was a worth the wait. I got in to order pretty quickly but waited a bit to get my bagel with cream cheese. I took it home to eat with a nice fresh mug of nespresso roasted hazel nut coffee and I was not disappointed. The sourdough plain bagel was tasty and loaded with cream cheese. Luckily, I had bought a second bagel, so took the extra cream cheese from the first bagel, and spread it on the second! Parking was available in the parking lot when I got there, but as I left, the lot was totally packed so get there before 9am!