Fairmount Bagel is opening a dedicated café in the Mile End

Montreal's bagel wars just got a new front. Fairmount Bagel, the 107-year-old Mile End institution, is expanding with a dedicated café at 65 Fairmount West, directly across the street from their bakery.

Details are scant, but the new venture—which seems to be dubbed Café Fairmount Bagel—takes over the space formerly occupied by The Standard, a neighbourhood fixture since 2012. The bakery has put up decals in the window to herald the upcoming opening.

Founded by Isadore Shlafman, a Russian immigrant who first set up shop on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, Fairmount Bagel moved to its current Fairmount Avenue location in 1949, but it's always been a business that's been hand-rolling bagels since 1919. The bakery has remained in the Shlafman family for four generations, with its wood-fired ovens running around the clock to produce the honey-sweetened, sesame-coated rings that have become synonymous with the city.

The café marks Fairmount's first significant expansion beyond its original footprint—a notable move for a business that has resisted franchising.

No official opening date has been announced, but Mile End residents can expect to see activity at the new location soon. Whether it'll serve as a sit-down spot for fresh bagels and schmears or something more ambitious remains to be seen.