Max Sussman of Bev’s Bagels has big plans for 2026.
The chef plans to expand the footprint of his shop in Detroit’s Core City and add an additional location in downtown Ann Arbor.
The new location is set for a 1,500-square-foot space at 115 E. Liberty St., with the aim of opening by fall 2026.
In a statement, Sussman said the Ann Arbor location was special because Bev’s Bagels started as a pop-up there in 2020.
“This is literally where I started cooking more than 20 years ago,” Sussman said in a statement. “Ann Arbor is where everything began for me, so there’s a real sense of coming full circle. I’m incredibly excited to have a proper oven right in downtown Ann Arbor, surrounded by great neighbors and so much to plug into.”
Sussman says the Ann Arbor space will be built with green energy in mind.
“We’re also excited to design sustainability into this new build,” he said. “By incorporating more electric cooking we can also align with Ann Arbor’s push toward energy efficiency.”
Meanwhile, Bev’s Bagels also plans to nearly double its size in Core City by expanding into an adjacent space. The Bagel shop opened earlier this year at 4884 Grand River Ave., in the former Detroit Institute of Bagels next door to bakery Mother Loaf. On Dec. 1, Mother Loaf wrote in an Instagram post that its landlord decided not to renew its lease.
Sussman says the expansion will add more seating and allow the shop to offer more items, including breads, pastries, and “fun experiments like bagel dogs,” while also allowing increasing opportunities for wholesale and catering. The shop says it also plans to continue its “Bagels with Buds” collaborations with other Detroit-area chefs.
“Expanding in Detroit will let us serve our customers faster and better, and will help build Bev’s into a true third space for the neighborhood, where people can come and just hang out and enjoy some good food in a more comfortable space,” Sussman said. “We want to give families space to linger a little while and for people to have lunch meetings here, rather than just treating bagels as a grab-and-go item. ”
Sussman also emphasized that Bev’s Bagels has a Community Sandwich Project, where diners can purchase a bagel sandwich in advance for someone in need.
“There’s been an incredible amount of generosity with people buying bagels for others,” Sussman said. “What we want now is to make sure people know these are available to be redeemed, no questions asked.”
Bev’s Bagels says it’s aiming to complete the Core City expansion by spring 2026.
Clarification, December 16, 2025 10:40 am:
This article was updated to include that the Mother Loaf lease was not renewed.