Balena Bagels is now open at 3805 Willow Avenue in Castle Shannon, owned by Roselawn Avenue resident Audrey Brown. On a typical day, the small shop sells between 700 and 1,000 bagels, baked fresh daily. “People are very excited,” said Brown. “We’ve been selling out a lot, especially on weekends.”

The menu is simple with 11 types of bagels, three flavors of cream cheese, La Prima drip coffee and a few bottled drinks. But that’s all it takes to keep customers coming back to the first authentic bagel shop in the South Hills. Brown plans to offer sandwiches and other specialties, but for now, she is focusing on Balena’s bread and butter. Two of her favorite offerings are the classic everything bagel and signature rosemary bagel.

The baking process takes three days. The sourdough, made with all-natural ingredients and no added processing agents, is mixed on the first day and chilled overnight. It’s shaped into rings the next day and chilled again. On the third day, the bagels bake for 10 minutes then move quickly to the floor for sale. Any leftover bagels at closing are donated to 412 Food Rescue.

Brown attributes much of Balena Bagels’ early success to her small staff of 10. “I’m amazed how great everyone is. Everyone pitches in and they think ahead. I’m so grateful for them,” she said.

Chloe Kittredge, Sunset Drive, is a cashier and illustrator for the business. The Mt. Lebanon High School alum, class of 2020, studied painting at Parsons School of Design in New York. “Audrey is a great boss. She gives me a lot of freedom with what I want to do,” Kittredge noted.

Kittredge added an artistic flair to Balena Bagels, with a colorful mural of bagels and whales in the storefront. Balena is Italian for whale, a symbol of power and strength. The name draws on Brown’s Italian-Jewish heritage, an inspiration for many of the products sold in the shop.

Balena Bagels is open Wednesday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. More information is available at balenabagels.com.