What if a bagel made in Hyderabad travelled to New York, the city that has set the benchmark for bagel culture for generations? This is now a reality for Bagel Brigade, the Hyderabad-born QSR that has been selected for New York BagelFest 2026.
Founded in Hyderabad in 2024 by Sharath Chandra Reddy Gattu and Dr Navya Chambalon, Bagel Brigade is the only India-born brand in this year’s announced lineup.
It was selected from a highly competitive pool in which fewer than nine per cent of applicants made the cut. The event will bring more than 25 bagel makers to Citi Field, New York, on November 15.
From Hyderabad To New York
The idea for Bagel Brigade began with cream cheese, but the founders wanted a bagel that could genuinely stand on its own. They developed their own bagels in-house rather than using bread buns shaped like bagels.
The brand uses sourdough starters and kettle-boils its bagels, while its cream cheese is cultured in-house over three days without gums or preservatives.
The menu is built around what the brand calls “Morning Fuel” – a convenient, portable first meal combining freshness, nutrition and speed. Along with bagels, the menu includes coffee, matcha, cold brews, refreshers, juices and other drinks.
What can you try in Hyderabad?
Bagel Brigade is currently at Kondapur and Jubilee hills with the outlet opening from 6am, making it an early-morning option for Hyderabadis.
Bagels are priced at Rs 260 upwards. The menu includes plain, jalapeño, thyme, sesame and everything bagels, paired with several cream cheese flavours.
There are also vegetarian, egg, chicken, avocado and open-face options. Among the popular choices is the Chicken Tikka Bagel, an Indian-inspired breakfast option.
The Avocado Egg Bagel and Chicken Sausage Egg Bagel are also part of the menu.
Why Bagel fest matters
BagelFest is more than a food festival. For the Bagel Brigade, it is a chance to put a bagel developed in Hyderabad alongside established international names and test its appeal in New York itself.
The team is also preparing new schmear flavours for the event, with plans to introduce Indian-inspired flavours that feel familiar but not overpowering.
The brand has already expanded to Austin, Texas, and is preparing Singapore as its next international market.
Its New York appearance therefore comes at a time when the Hyderabad startup is looking beyond India.
From a Hyderabad kitchen to Citi Field, Bagel Brigade’s journey is an unusual food story: an Indian brand taking its own version of a New York favourite back to the city where bagel culture became iconic.
For Hyderabad, this makes the story especially delicious.
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