A Hit D.C. Bagel Shop Is Opening Its First Midwest Location in Wicker Park

Call Your Mother, the Washington, D.C.-based bagel shop known for its playful spin on deli classics, is bringing its carb-y offerings to Chicago. Husband and wife owners Andrew Dana and Dani Moreira plan to open their first Midwest location in Wicker Park at 1615 N. Damen Avenue next spring, taking over the former home of Dimo’s Pizza.

The expansion introduces the growing company’s signature mash-up of New York and Montreal bagels, cheeky branding, and vibrant spaces to a new market. Dana says Chicago felt like a natural fit after touring cities across the country.

“Two of my best friends live in Chicago, so I’ve spent a lot of time there. We just loved the vibe and the energy — it felt right,” he says. “We were definitely looking for that neighborhood vibe … Wicker Park just felt like somewhere people really live, not some sort of transient, touristy area.”

Founded in 2018 after the couple’s first restaurant, Timber Pizza, became a breakout hit, Call Your Mother began as a farmers market project. They boiled bagels on induction burners in their pizzeria and sold out week after week. Those lines quickly led to a permanent storefront in D.C., and in 2019 the bagel shop landed on Eater’s list of the Best New Restaurants in America. Eventually, the couple expanded the business to several more across the East Coast and Denver. In January 2021, Joe Biden made his first D.C. restaurant stop as president at Call Your Mother in Georgetown.

At its core, Call Your Mother celebrates a blend of cultures and traditions. Dana, who describes himself as “Jew-ish,” grew up with both Jewish and Christian grandparents, while Moreira is from Argentina. Their bagels are a hybrid — boiled before being baked in a wood-fired oven, they combine the sweetness of Montreal-style bagels with the fluffier texture of a New York bagel. The menu reimagines Jewish deli staples with creative, sometimes unexpected twists, like the Jetski (brisket, pastrami, sofrito, jalapeño, and cheeses) and Hidden Cove (smoked salmon, mashed avocado, Korean-style cucumbers, seaweed flakes, and shredded carrots) sandwiches.

In addition to bagels, there will be babka muffins, latkes, cookies, and a Brazilian coffee blend, plus yuca cheesy bread as a gluten-free option. Seasonal items rotate throughout the year, keeping the menu fresh.

Each Call Your Mother location gets an original design while staying true to what Dana calls the brand’s “Boca meets Brooklyn” vision — exposed brick paired with vivid pink and teal accents. Inspired by Dana’s time in New York and childhood visits to Florida, the spaces blend urban minimalism with colorful touches. The Chicago shop will also showcase local artwork and a site-specific mural, giving the new location its own distinctive flavor.

“We try to marry the understated with big splashes of color and vibes,” Dana says. “We say it’s always Spring Break around these parts.”

Music plays a role, too. Each playlist is full of what Dana affectionately calls “late-’90s, early-2000s prom music.” He adds: “It’ll just make you feel good — make you bob your head while you’re biting into a bacon, egg, and cheese [sandwich].”

As for the name, it didn’t come easily. One evening while brainstorming, a friend of Dana’s jokingly said, “Call your mother,” mimicking a cliche Jewish grandmother, and the idea clicked.

Call Your Mother treats its team like a startup, according to Dana, offering long-term career growth. Expanding to new locations creates leadership opportunities for staff, from store managers stepping into corporate roles to team members switching tracks into areas like finance or creative. As Dana puts it, “part of it is you have to grow in order to create new opportunities.”

While Dana and Moreira have expanded to other states, their approach remains grounded.

“We’ve never planned more than six to nine months ahead,” Dana says. “We just focus on quality and service every step of the way.” The couple will temporarily relocate to Chicago for the launch, working alongside their team to open the store.

If all goes according to plan, and, as Dana jokes, “The permit gods cooperate,” Call Your Mother will start slinging its “bomb-ass bagels and good vibes” in Wicker Park by March or April 2026.

Call Your Mother is located at 1615 N. Damen Avenue. Opens in spring 2026.