Local Pastry Shop Will Fill Vacant Concession Space, Continue CTA Mission to Partner with Local Businesses
The Chicago Transit Authority welcomes a new, locally owned company to Red and Blue Line stations, continuing CTA’s strategy of partnering with local businesses and expanding offerings to rail customers.
The CTA Board today approved two leases with The Bagelers LLC to operate coffee and pastry shops at the Jackson Red Line station, 312 S. State St., and Jefferson Blue Line station, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave.
“We are pleased to welcome Bagelers to our growing number of retailers serving the thousands of CTA customers who travel through our rail stations every day,” said CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. “Working with small Chicago businesses is an important part of our mission to support local businesses and provide more opportunity for customers to buy local as they ride local.”
The Bageler LLC, owned by Jotam D. Torres, started its operations seven years ago as a wholesale bakery. In 2014, Torres and his wife Chelsey opened their first store “The Bagelers Coffeehouse” in Lincoln Park, offering homemade bagels, croissants, coffee and more. The two new concession spaces in CTA stations will provide Bagelers LLC an opportunity to reach even more customers on a daily basis.
“We are very excited to bring our Chicago-style bagels to the CTA,” Torres said. “By expanding our business to the CTA Blue and Red Lines, we hope to spread our culture and community to new parts of this great city.”
The Bagelers LLC was approved for two separate leases. The net present value of the Jefferson Park Blue Line station lease is calculated at $349,514.56 over a ten-year lease. The net present value of the Jackson Red Line station lease is calculated at $169,902.91 over a ten-year lease. Both leases include two additional five-year options and reflect CTA’s effort to eliminate month-to-month leases and secure more long-term leases, which are mutually beneficial to the CTA, CTA tenants and the surrounding community.
Since May 2011, the CTA has partnered with 26 local businesses, providing CTA customers with additional options for a more pleasant commute. Local businesses include Flacos Tacos, Gino’s North Pizzeria, the Churro Factory, Lupitos Juice Bar and now the Bagelers among many others.
Revenue generated from retail leases help boost CTA’s non-farebox revenue and provide customers and the surrounding neighborhoods with additional amenities and services that help to boost local neighborhood economies. Since 2011, CTA has added nearly $15 million in new concession leases.
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