Every university campus has its iconic eateries. Places where students and alumni alike go for eating and reminiscing (the latter sure to make it a stop during homecoming weekends and other nostalgic visits).
For those familiar with Miami University, this iconic place is none other than Bagel & Deli Shop, one of Oxford’s most notorious attractions, serving up crave-worthy steamed bagel sandwiches since 1975.
While a yearly pilgrimage to a favorite spot is enough for some, for others, like former Bagel & Deli employee and Miami alum Nate Lewis, a more frequent fix is needed. Like, a permanent one. One in the form of the recently opened Bagel & Deli outpost in downtown Loveland—where, together with his partner Kelly Lang, they hitched their proverbial wagon (or, um, truck) to Cappy’s Wine and Spirits, creating a perfect pairing.
A Bagel and a Dream
In March of 2020, Nate took Kelly on a spur-of-the-moment trip to Oxford for his birthday. Among the things on their itinerary? Eating at Bagel & Deli, of course.
“The moment we pulled up, I was intrigued by this little inviting bagel shop with the cool sign,” Kelly recalls. “After spending what felt like an hour drooling over every personalized menu sign, I landed on the Smoke and Toke with smoked salmon and capers. After the first bite, I was hooked—then promptly purchased all the merch in my size!”
That one trip led to both another bagel sandwich purchase on their way out of town and a non-stop conversation about how to become part of Bagel & Deli in the future—a conversation that continued for the next four years, culminating in the creation of the Bagel & Deli Truck.
“Nate’s been close friends with Gary Franks, one of the two Shop owners, for 20+ years,” Kelly says. “We worked very closely with him to make sure everything was exactly the same.”
And Kelly and Nate (much like the rest of us) couldn’t be happier about how everything turned out. “We get to spend each day together, discussing our many blessings and reminiscing about our trip where he introduced me to the BEST bagels in the world, which ultimately became our shared dream and changed our lives forever.”
Bagel & Deli Truck + Cappy’s = A Marvelous Match
Bagel & Deli Truck’s home (a 1997 run-down former circus concession trailer-turned-bagel-deli) was first discovered (dirty, dented and covered in weeds) in one of their friend’s greenhouse fields. Despite its condition, Kelly and Nate knew right then and there that they had found their eatery’s new home.
“With hard work, determination and a dream, we restored every piece of the trailer ourselves—along with our awesome and talented friends,” Kelly says proudly. “We knew the exterior would be our forever first impression and expression of who we are—it had to be just right. So we flew in our niece, a mural artist, and after almost eight full days of painting, she brought our little sketches to life!”
Best of all? As Loveland residents, Kelly and Nate wanted to open their truck in historic downtown. Cappy’s agreed, and the rest is bagel history.
Bagel & Deli Menu & Merch
So what’s different between the original and the new Bagel & Deli? Absolutely nothing.
“Our only non-negotiable from the very start was that everything had to be exactly the same as Bagel & Deli Shop,” Kelly says. “All the menu items, ingredients and equipment used are an exact match to the shop. We even use the same vendors, including the one-and-only Marx Bagels for all our bagels and bialys.”
Due to space limitations, the truck doesn’t advertise all 90 specialty sandwiches like the original. However, Kelly says if someone doesn’t see their fave from the Oxford location on their menu, if they have the ingredients on the truck, they’ll make it for you anyway.
With so many menu items, it can be hard to whittle down to just a few must-haves. But the duo was able to offer us insight into the best-performing sandwiches and employee picks.
2023’s Top Four
- The Crunch and Munch (2023 Bagel of the Year!): turkey, smoked cheddar, lettuce, honey mustard, parmesan peppercorn dressing and Nacho Doritos® on a combo bagel
- Messy Katie: turkey, Colby, cream cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato, spinach and honey mustard on a bialy (Polish bread roll)
- Mr. Turkey: turkey, provolone, lettuce, tomato and mayo on a plain bagel
- Pizza Bagel: pepperoni, provolone and pizza sauce on a plain bagel
Employee Faves
- Redhawk Rueben (Kelly): corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut and 1000 Island on a pumpernickel bagel
- Alumni (Nate): roast beef and cream cheese on an onion bagel
- Cookie Monster (Jake): cream cheese, cinnamon and a chocolate chip cookie on a blueberry bagel
In addition to ordering their delicious bagel sandwiches to take home or eat right there on Cappy’s patio, you can also show your support for Bagel & Deli by sporting their hoodies (made by Cincy Shirts, of course) and keeping an eye out for future events by following them on Facebook and Instagram. The truck is open daily Wednesday through Sunday (Thursday – Saturday for dinner, too), and is also available on DoorDash and UberEats. Ready to make new bagel memories with them? Count us in.
BagelAndDeliTruck.com | @bagelanddelitruck | Facebook.com/117374594783893
