By Rhea Choudhary | Arts & Life Writer
Shorty’s Pizza Shack has become a popular and routine stop for Baylor students who are craving an evening slice of pizza or want to meet their friends at a fun hangout spot, but its next Waco spot will be serving something a little different.
12th and Bagel, a new bagel shop opening from Shorty’s owners, is planned to open on 1724 S. 12th St., right next door to the pizza restaurant near Baylor. The shop is expected to open around March 2027, according to Shorty’s managing partner Kyle Ferguson.
The new restaurant will serve bagels, bagel sandwiches, schmears and espresso drinks and will have a full bar.
“We are planning to open around March,” Ferguson said. “We will have your main hitters for the bagels and some other fun options as well, like a pizza bagel.”
The project is a renovation of the former Waco Wonder Wash building next to Shorty’s Pizza Shack. KWTX reported in July that the new bagel shop would use the same flour as Shorty’s pizza dough and traditional New York bagel-making methods. The bagels will be handmade and hand-rolled, co-owner Ted Browning told KWTX.
For Baylor students who already make Shorty’s part of their Waco routine, the new restaurant could be an easy stop.
“The spot will be right next to the apartment, which is good for those of us who go so often to the pizza spot already,” Cordova, Tennessee, sophomore Logan Jones said. “If they are using the same dough as their pizzas, I’m sure the bagels will be just as good too. I hope their menu will have a cinnamon raisin bagel, and I imagine that they will make their bagel sandwiches pretty good.”
The restaurant is also being designed to offer more than just a quick breakfast for customers. Ferguson said the space will provide a full bar and, after 4 p.m., it is expected to hold overflow seating for Shorty’s while offering some of the same food found on the pizza restaurant’s menu.
“We are not sure on the hours yet, but will probably be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” Ferguson said.
This could turn 12th and Bagel into a shop with more options than just an early morning bagel. Students and faculty could stop in for breakfast, grab coffee between classes or use the space later in the day when Shorty’s is busy.
The restaurant is expected to keep the same general feel that Shorty’s has.
KWTX wrote that the restaurant will have booth, counter and bar seating, along with a drive-thru in the back.
“If they do the same thing at the bagel shop that they did with the bar at the pizza shack, it would be nice if they had an espresso shop or coffee stop for people to go to regularly, since it is basically in the same location,” Jones said.
“It will have the same attitude as Shorty’s … just try to be cool to everyone and party on,” Ferguson said.
With 12th and Bagel opening up so close to campus, Shorty’s is hoping its following will extend past serving just pizza and into the morning.
