A Devon bagel brand has opened in Totnes, instantly becoming one to watch in the town.

Harman Bagels launched its second site at 12 Ticklemore Street on Friday, February 20, taking over the former Taguchi-Ya premises.

More than 200 customers came through the doors on day one, with 400 bagels served before the team finally downed tools.

When we visited towards the end of the day, we expected the earlier hype to have lulled. How wrong we were.

Every table was filled – and then filled again as soon as someone left. Customers happily queued for takeaway orders, reportedly spilling out onto the street. Others used the sheltered seating outside to dine or wait for their takeaway order.

The atmosphere was driven by the Devon-born brothers, George and Jack Harman, who run the business alongside Jack’s wife, Emma. Their energy is infectious – all warmth, gratitude, and golden-retriever-like enthusiasm.

Staff greeted customers, thanked them for visiting, and worked calmly but efficiently behind the counter. Nothing was too much to ask, a characteristic that can be attributed to the original location’s success.

The Totnes shop follows the runaway success of their original site in Royal William Yard, Plymouth, where weekend queues have long been the norm. But this is not a simple ‘copy-and-paste’ expansion.

Jack explained that while the Plymouth branch has become a community hub – donating food to a food bank, working with schools, and offering hot water bottles to those in need on cold mornings – they want to integrate into Totnes in a way that responds to the town itself.

“It’s about growing into the space and into the community,” he said. “We don’t want to assume it’s the same as Plymouth. We want to find out what’s needed here.”

That ethos is reflected in the food. These are not New York bagels, Jack is quick to point out: “It would be disingenuous to call them that.” These are Devon bagels, made with British ingredients and sourced as locally as possible (except for Scottish salmon, obviously).

Our reporters were each given a pastry, a coffee, and a bagel to try. The pastries are substantial and freshly baked - but if you opt for the rhubarb and custard Danish, I’d recommend using a fork, unless you are prepared to wear it.

The bagels themselves are equally lavish – you choose your flavour and filling, from classic cream cheese to salt beef and rotating specials. At just under £10 for a fully loaded bagel, diners may see premium prices for what is, essentially, a jazzed-up sandwich.

The true test is taste, and here the quality stands out. Fillings are fresh, well-seasoned, and generously portioned. Each order is a full meal, likely to satisfy hunger. When considering the ingredient quality, freshness, substantial portion size, and overall experience, the price feels justified.

The cost of the coffee and pastries is more in line with what you would expect from an independent cafe – not eye-wateringly expensive, especially given their above-average size and quality.

If the queues and online response have been anything to go by, the owners need not worry about whether Harman Bagels was a one-hit wonder – it’s fun, delicious, and fresh. With that winning combination and community-focused attitudes, this new bagel shop may be the latest asset to Totnes’s hospitality scene.