In a quiet corner of Loudoun County, where the scent of roasted coffee drifts down Main Street and the rhythms of small-town Virginia life unfold at a gentler pace, something big is baking—again.
Bagel Chicks, the West Virginia bakery that earned cult status for its scratch-made bagels and Jewish deli staples, is expanding into Purcellville. For fans of boiled-and-baked authenticity, the kind of bagel that crackles when toasted and holds its own beneath a thick smear of cream cheese, the arrival is a meaningful one. But for the women behind Bagel Chicks, the journey is more than geographical. It’s personal. And it goes back nearly a century.
From Sicily to Charles Town—A Family Tradition Rises
The roots of Bagel Chicks trace back to 1932, when Sam Costantino, a Sicilian immigrant, opened a small neighborhood bakery in New York City. Like so many first-generation Americans, Sam brought with him an immigrant’s intuition: work early, serve generously, and keep the recipe close. He baked daily, perfecting everything from seeded rye loaves to hand-rolled bagels. The business was humble, but its influence was outsized—first nourishing the neighborhood, and later passing down the confidence and craft of baking to his children and grandchildren.
By the time the family relocated to West Virginia in 2010, Sam’s legacy had already spanned multiple generations. That year, the Charles Town bakery opened under the name Royalicious Bagel Bakery, a nod to both the “royal” quality of its bagels and the “delicious” flavor that made regulars out of first-time visitors. It wasn’t long before locals in Ranson and Jefferson County discovered they didn’t need to head to Brooklyn for a proper bagel—they just needed to stop by Oak Lee Drive.
A Rebrand Rooted in Identity
In 2025, the bakery took on a new name: Bagel Chicks.
More than just a rebrand, the change was a recognition of the two women steering the business into its next chapter: Jackie Costantino and Katheryn “Kat” Acker. Jackie, the great-granddaughter of founder Sam Costantino, grew up in the family business—counting bagels, shadowing her father in the kitchen, and absorbing the rhythm of bakery life long before she ever considered taking it over. Kat, her longtime best friend and now business partner, brought a complementary perspective—one rooted in marketing, community connection, and a shared love of food that felt like home.
Together, they represent a rare blend of legacy and innovation. Jackie brings four generations of baking wisdom and operational know-how, while Kat brings brand clarity, creativity, and the ability to connect with customers beyond the counter. Their tagline—“Two chicks. One dream. Bagels.”—captures it simply. Theirs is a story of friendship, family, and flour.
Bagels That Don’t Cut Corners
Bagel Chicks doesn’t pretend to be trendy.
It doesn’t sell gimmicky flavors or experimental hybrids. What it does offer—consistently and proudly—is the kind of bagel that New York expats quietly weep over when they find it in the wild. It starts with high-gluten flour, cold proofing, hand-rolling, and that essential boil before baking that gives the crust its signature snap. The result is a bagel with real character: chewy, golden, and substantial.
The flavor lineup covers the classics—plain, sesame, poppy seed, onion, everything—as well as bakery favorites like asiago, cinnamon raisin, blueberry, and French toast. On any given morning in Charles Town, the trays also feature jalapeño cheddar bagels and egg bagels tinted bright yellow with richness. And then there are the bagel sandwiches: bacon-egg-and-cheese piled onto fresh everything bagels, sausage patties nestled between cheddar-streaked halves, and lox with a proper shmear and thin-sliced onion.
Beyond bagels, the menu stretches confidently into full deli territory. Pastrami and corned beef are house favorites, served warm on rye or marble bread with mustard or Russian dressing. The latkes are crisp and golden, served traditionally with sour cream and applesauce. Tuna salad, chicken salad, matzo ball soup, potato knishes, and deli pickles round out a lineup that feels lifted straight from Manhattan—but without the attitude or the price tag.
The Charles Town Hub
Ask anyone in Jefferson County where to get breakfast, and you’re likely to hear one answer first: Bagel Chicks.
The Charles Town location is more than a bakery—it’s a community hub. On weekends, the line often snakes toward the door, with regulars trading greetings and newcomers checking the specials board. The space is simple and bright, with oversized display cases that show off cookies, croissants, danishes, and oversized muffins. The coffee flows continuously—standard drip, espresso, iced, or specialty drinks like caramel macchiatos or dirty chai lattes.
But perhaps what sets Bagel Chicks apart is the vibe. It’s casual and confident. The staff know your order by your second visit. Parents stop by with toddlers on their way to soccer practice; older couples linger over bagels and crossword puzzles. Everyone is welcome, and everyone seems to know it.
Why Purcellville—and Why Now
The choice to expand into Purcellville isn’t random, but it also isn’t forced. Loudoun County has been one of the fastest-growing regions in the state, yet it retains a strong sense of localism. Markets, breweries, and independently owned restaurants dominate the food scene, particularly in towns like Purcellville that sit just west of the DC suburbs but feel worlds apart. It’s a place where people still shop at hardware stores on the weekend, where farmers’ markets are social events, and where a small-batch bakery still feels like news.
For Bagel Chicks, Purcellville offers the right mix: a tight-knit community, a food-savvy population, and a morning crowd ready for something better than drive-thru. While the brand has no intention of becoming a chain, Jackie and Kat see the town as a natural fit for their next step. They’ve watched the customer base in Charles Town grow to include commuters from Virginia and Maryland, many of whom have asked—half joking, half pleading—when they might open closer to Loudoun. Now, they have an answer.
The new location will offer the same core menu: boiled bagels, breakfast sandwiches, Jewish deli classics, locally roasted coffee, and house-baked sweets. Like Charles Town, it will also feature a counter-service model and a casual seating area where regulars can feel at home. Jackie and Kat are hands-on owners, and they plan to keep it that way—rotating between locations, chatting with customers, and continuing to train staff the same way Jackie’s family has done for generations: with patience, pride, and attention to detail.
The Women Behind the Brand
Jackie and Kat’s dynamic is part of what makes Bagel Chicks more than just another bakery.
They’re childhood friends turned co-owners, but their partnership is grounded in mutual respect and complementary skills. Jackie runs the back of house—baking schedules, ingredient sourcing, recipe testing—while Kat handles the front: branding, marketing, customer experience, and community engagement. Together, they have built something few businesses manage to achieve: consistency, character, and a loyal following that doesn’t waver with trends.
Their commitment to authenticity extends to everything they do.
When they rebranded from Royalicious to Bagel Chicks in 2025, they did it with clarity and confidence. It wasn’t just a logo swap—it was a reflection of their personal investment in the business and the direction they wanted to go. The name is playful, yes, but also purposeful. It signals a female-led business, a generational transition, and a brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously—except when it comes to the bagels.
A Place That Feels Like Home
For all the buzz around expansion, it’s easy to forget what makes Bagel Chicks special isn’t scale—it’s soul.
The Charles Town location feels like a third place: not home, not work, but somewhere in between. It’s where teenagers grab breakfast before school, where retirees meet for coffee, and where families pick up challah on Fridays. The staff learn names quickly. The regulars form their own kind of morning community. It’s the kind of place you come for the food, but stay for the feeling.
That same energy is coming to Purcellville—not as a copy-paste, but as a continuation. Different space, same spirit. A bakery where the ovens hum before sunrise, where the counter is always full, and where the bagels are still boiled and baked the way Sam Costantino made them in 1932.
