When Lefty’s Bagels opened in Chesterfield, it quickly became a must-visit for bagel fans across St. Louis. Now, co-owners Doug Goldenberg and Scott Lefton are taking the next step: opening a second location at the Mirowitz Center at Covenant Place, designed to be more than just a bagel shop. It’s a full café experience—and it’s coming this June.
“That’s now Lefty’s Bagels and Café,” said Goldenberg, confirming that the former HJ’s Café space will soon reopen with a new name, new concept and a strong link to the Jewish community.
“We are expanding,” he said. “We are shooting to be open for the Covenant Place 50th anniversary.”
While the original Chesterfield shop will continue baking the bagels, Goldenberg made clear, “We will never bake bagels in that facility.” Instead, the Creve Coeur location will operate as a fast-casual café. “You’ll come up to the counter. You’ll place your order. You’ll have a seat at the table. You’ll have real silverware and napkins, real plates and so forth. We’ll fill drinks at the table. We’re just basically not taking orders at the table.”
With over 4,400 square feet, two kitchens and seating for more than 100, the new Lefty’s Café will offer an expanded menu. “We are going to have a lot of the same components of our menu,” said Goldenberg, including premium smoked fish from Samaki in New York.
New menu for Lefty’s Bagels
New to the menu will be more breakfast items—omelets, pancakes, waffles, challah French toast—and deli staples like matzah ball soup, blintzes and corned beef. Goldenberg also hinted at reviving a lost St. Louis favorite: “My intention, believe it or not, is to reach out to Harlan Levin, who I have a good relationship with and get their knish recipe. Bring it back.” Levin was the owner and “chief kibitzer” at Pumpernickle’s Deli, which closed in 2022.
Lefty’s also plans to start baking its own challah and rye bread. “Our rye bread is the old Pratzel’s tzitzel rye bread recipe. Yes, I have the recipe and we’ve already been working on it,” said Goldenberg.
Though the café will open kosher-style, it will not initially be under Vaad Hoeir certification. Goldenberg added, “Right now, we’re just going to continue what we’re doing from a non-kosher or kosher style, if you will, for the time being.”
As for the bigger picture, Goldenberg shared that the new space also positions Lefty’s to expand its catering offerings. “We’re planning on running a catering business out of those two kitchens along with the café,” he said.
For co-owner Scott Lefton, the new location is about much more than just expansion. He sees the café as an opportunity to strengthen Lefty’s ties to the community while welcoming even more St. Louisans to the table.
“Part of our mission with the café is to foster a deeper partnership with the St. Louis Jewish community and to bring Lefty’s to a broader audience overall,” he said.
The location itself feels like a perfect fit. “With close proximity to the J, JFS (Jewish Family Services), the Holocaust Museum and Covenant Place, we hope it becomes a convenient space for both public and private events,” said Lefton. “Our brand is growing, yes—but it’s also evolving in a really exciting way.”
For Lefton, this next chapter carries a sense of purpose.
“I look at this move as ‘carrying on the torch,’” he said. “We are lucky enough to be carrying on the Jewish food traditions in St. Louis. It’s an honor and privilege. Our dream is the next move will help position us to carry the torch longer and farther and continue these traditions for a very long time.”
The opportunity came thanks to Eddie Cherry at Manor Real Estate, who helped connect Lefty’s to the Covenant Place opportunity.
Future plans for westward expansion are still on the radar. But for now, the focus is clear: “We knew this was the right move—for us and for the community,” said Goldenberg.
