Two sister cities, one bagel shop.
From Montclair to Graz
Since 1950, Graz and Montclair, New Jersey, have been sister cities. Today the friendship is looked after by Overseas Neighbours, together with regular student exchanges between the two cities. One of those exchanges is how our bagel story began.
1950 Montclair and Graz become sister cities.
What began in 1950 as a gesture of reconciliation after World War II grew into a lasting friendship between Graz and Montclair. What started with aid shipments eventually developed into a vibrant exchange between people, cultures, and universities.
Today, Overseas Neighbours, the City of Graz, and the University of Graz all play an important role in keeping this connection alive - including through regular student exchanges.
And a little piece of this ongoing partnership can be found just around the corner from our store, in Stadtpark. Have you ever walked down Montclair Allee?
2021 Graz sends Judith to Montclair
Judith received a Sister City Scholarship from the City of Graz and spent a year at Montclair State University. Somewhere between Montclair, New York, and everyday American life, she fell in love with something very special: bagels. Soon, the idea of opening her own bagel shop began to grow.
Back in Graz, she missed her daily dose of cream cheese. While searching for good bagels in Graz, she found something - or rather, someone - else: Romano.
Together, they baked their first batches of bagels. Let's just say... they needed some work. What followed were years of countless baking attempts, experiments, and plenty of dough.
2026 A dream is turned into reality.
After countless batches, changed recipes, and failure after failure, they kept going - until, eventually, they found their bagel. The result was too good to keep to themselves.
So they started planning, calculating, experimenting, and eventually took the leap. What began as a dream of a small bagel shop became a real project - and a place right here in Graz.
And where better than Zinzendorfgasse 1 - right in the heart of the university quarter, where students, locals, and Graz life come together every day?
Welcome to Montclair Bagels.
