With License, Black Sheep Bagels One Step Closer to Harvard Square

Black Sheep Bagel Cafe successfully earned a license from the Cambridge License Commission Tuesday, paving the way for the bagel eatery to officially open its doors at 56 JFK St. in Harvard Square.

Owners Shoshanah Garber and Manny Ramirez said they are excited their new cafe will soon come to Harvard. The two hope to work with student groups and organizations, Garber said.

Some students said they are pleased Black Sheep is opening given the Square does not currently boast any bagel stores. Gelila G. Wolle ’21, who said she often has “a lot of trouble deciding where to go to breakfast” given what she called a scarcity of local options, noted she is looking forward to being able to visit a new type of eatery.

“I think people would go because there isn’t that much choice,” Wolle said.

Elizabeth M. Cordoves ’20 said she thinks Black Sheep will be a “nice place to meet up when you want to get out of the d-hall… that is not too expensive either.”

Black Sheep will be open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch and will offer twelve different types of bagels, according to Garber and Ramirez. Both said they are currently working on planning the menu—and pricing the bagels.

“We’ve definitely done our research in regards to the surrounding bagel spots and cafes,” said Ramirez. “We don’t want to be on the high spectrum of pricing, which is very important to us because we understand we are surrounded by college students.”

Ramirez said Black Sheep hopes to price its offerings lower than nearby cafes. The store will also offer student discounts, Garber said. These student discounts will be available for both graduates and undergraduates, Garber said, in part given that Black Sheep is close to the Harvard Kennedy School.

Garber and Ramirez are local Cantabrigians. The two said they were inspired to open Black Sheep after realizing the Square could benefit from a cafe with lower-priced offerings.

“We’ve noticed the need for a more affordable breakfast and lunch option, and we are here to fill that need,” Garber said.

—Staff Writer Andrea M. Bossi can be reached at andrea.bossi@thecrimson.com and on Twitter @bossi147