Our Story
The Fat Bagels Story
John Conley has been operating thriving restaurants in Flagstaff, Arizona for more than 30 years. The Mexican and Southwestern creations offered at Salsa Brava and the authentic, VPN Certified Neapolitan Pizzas served at Fat Olives Italian Kitchen have won awards and attracted a following of local and visiting diners alike.
Fat Bagels, John’s newest neighborhood restaurant, takes its inspiration from his earliest kitchen experience working for Katz Deli in Phoenix, Arizona at just 13 years old. Although he was a busser and dishwasher, John spent his first two months at Katz absorbing all he could about basic cooking. His eagerness to learn paid off one day when the deli’s line cook did not show up for a Sunday morning shift. Without hesitation, young John—along with Wanda Whelcher, one of the restaurant’s owners—stepped up and handled the busy morning rush. As he describes the experience in his cookbook, “It was fast and furious, and I loved it.”
At Fat Bagels John has turned back to those roots, offering true New York kettle-boiled bagels with a few Jewish deli staples like matzo ball soup and pastrami sandwiches thrown in for good measure. Everything in the kitchen is made from scratch and cooked using classic “old school” bagel equipment.
Despite taking a “slow food” style approach to cooking, Fat Bagels is set up to offer quick grab-and-go breakfast and lunch options to busy patrons at affordable prices. The restaurant is conveniently located on Route 66 and offers a drive thru, online ordering in advance, and counter service, allowing customers to get a great meal even on a tight schedule.
In the Media
John Conley brings New York bagels to Flagstaff with Fat Bagels
by Cody Bashore, Arizona Daily Sun
Dough, Delight, and Determination: A Candid Conversation with Flagstaff Restauranteur and Fat Bagels owner, John Conley
by David Swain
Our Founder
Chef John Conley, a native of Phoenix, AZ, with his love of food and cooking embedded early on in life and the inspiration to open his own restaurant, John opened his first restaurant, Salsa Brava, at the age of twenty-one. He later went on to open Fat Olives Italian Kitchen, join celebrity chefs on food tours such as the Mess Lords and make guest appearances on Food Network.
