Shirley’s Bagels finally opens at new Laguna spot after wrangling with city

After months of maneuvering through Laguna Beach parking requirements, Shirley’s Bagels finally opened Friday in a new location..

The bagel spot popular with Laguna Beach High School students and other residents moved across a parking lot to another location in The Plaza center, at 303 Broadway St. Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce officials marked the occasion with a traditional ribbon cutting.

Carlos Perez, one of the company’s partners, said doors opened at 5:30 a.m. and that later in the morning a line had formed out the door.

At 10 a.m. the shop was abuzz with conversations. Customers hugged Perez and his nephew, Sam Perez, the store manager.

The quest by Shirley’s to move started months ago when Casey’s Cupcakes left The Plaza in February 2014.

Shirley’s owners eyed the 931-square-foot first-floor space because it is nearly double the square-footage of the former store. The suite also abuts Ocean Avenue, a street with car and pedestrian activity.

But the city required Shirley’s to offer more parking spaces than Casey’s had since officials considered the bagel seller a food-service business instead of a retail store, the label affixed to Casey’s.

Shirley’s owners hired a parking consultant, who determined that enough parking spaces could be available for customers since the business’ hours would differ from those of other tenants in the plaza.

The Planning Commission approved the move in October.

“This is so well deserved,” Laguna Beach County Water District office assistant Lisa Dunbar said while standing inside the new store. “They are great people, very welcoming.”

Dunbar said she likes to visit Shirley’s a couple times a week. “I come for the coffee,” she said.

The new store has an espresso bar and tables with marble countertops. Display cases reveal made-from-scratch bagels such as jalapeno cheddar, honey raisin and the “everything,” which Perez said is the top seller.

Carlos Perez said he is committed to upholding the bagel-making standards of company founder Shirley Merrifield, who opened the business, then called Bagels Etc., on 17th Street in Costa Mesa in 1986.

The company opened in Laguna in 1990 and also has a Newport Beach shop.

Merrifield used a special all-purpose flour that Perez still orders. Shirley’s goes through 12,500 to 15,000 pounds of the high-gluten flour a week, he said.

Each bagel is hand made, boiled and baked at the Costa Mesa store by employees including Victor Rodriguez and Urbano Vega, who have been with the company 28 and 26 years, respectively. Pictures of the men at work adorn the walls inside Shirley’s.

The bagels receive a cornmeal coating on one side before being dropped into boiling water. After three minutes in the water, the bagels are removed and baked for 25 minutes in a 450-degree oven.

Boiling “shines the dough,” creating a skin, Perez said. Cornmeal makes it easier to slide the bagels into the pot of boiling water and gives the bagel a crunch.

Partner Emily Gately, who along with Perez started with the company in 1998, said her business partner seeks out the best ingredients and culls tips from other stores.

“He is so passionate about this,” Gately said. “He visits so many stores to get ideas and then makes them his own. [The store’s new location] is so reflective of all the hard work and dedication.”

Shirley’s is open from 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.