Cleo Bagels (fka Dodo Bagels) was born in a West Philadelphia home kitchen during the winter of 2016. As a Brooklyn native, bagel enthusiast, and home baker with limited options in Philly at the time, Alex set out to see if he could make the bagel he wished to see in the world. 

What started as a hobby has since taken many forms: an underground apartment-based bagel service; vending at the Clark Park Farmers Market; pop up residency at the Lil’ Pop Shop; sporadic pop ups with industry friends; and finally going brick and mortar in September 2023 at 5013 Baltimore Ave in West Philly.

While so much has changed, we remain steadfast in our mission and intention - make a bagel that honors tradition – hand rolled, malt boiled, and deck-oven baked; use high quality ingredients - local, practical, and clean; and keep things interesting - think Ramen Thing or Beans, ‘Dines, and Greens and seasonal treats like Applething. 

In February of 2026 we opened Little Bean, a small cafe at 5015 Baltimore Ave., right next door to the bagel shop. Little Bean is a sister shop named after our namesake’s rescue sister-pup Bean. Like siblings, Little Bean has its own personality but it’s clear that these spaces belong to the same family. The cafe serves as an extension of our bagel shop, offering guests of either space additional seating inside and out front, a thoughtful beverage program featuring Necessary and Passenger Coffee out of Lancaster, B.Y.O. Cleo, and a selection of your favorite sweet treats from the bagel shop.