St-Viateur Bagel

Founded in 1957 by Myer Lewkowicz, St-Viateur Bagel is recognized today as one of Montreal's most famous bakeries. But how did a small family business stand out, becoming a pride of Montreal ?

It all started in 1953, when Myer Lewkowicz arrived in Canada after a long trip from Poland. He was hired at the Hyman Seligman Bakery, which specialized in making bagels. He then learned the techniques of making a good bagel, which he used to open his own bakery on St-Viateur Street, which has become famous over the years. Plus, the bagels are still handcrafted, just as they were back then, and baked in a wood-fired oven, which retains the authenticity of the craftsmanship.

In the 1960s, the current owner, Joe Morena, was hired by Lewkowicz at the age of 15. Morena even became co-owner in 1974 until the death of Lewkowicz 20 years later, in 1994. Joe Morena then became the owner of St-Viateur Bagel and he also opened his first café in 1996, at 1127 Mont-Royal. He open three more cafés in the following years, including one that unfortunately had to close down in March 2019, a year before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

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