Four Inane Questions with Luca Bagel’s Luke Salvatore

Photo Courtesy of Luke Salvatore

Question of the day? Why do hundreds of people willingly stand in an obnoxiously long line every Saturday morning at the Overland Park Farmers Market? Two words: Luca Bagel.

Kansas Citian Luke Salvatore has built a weekly carb pilgrimage thanks to his pitch-perfect bagels that harken back to his East Coast roots. A Northeast Italian-Croatian kid who grew up feasting on New York pizza, Jersey Shore crumb cake, and fresh bakery bagels, Salvatore has always been nostalgic about the flavors of his childhood. After planting roots in KC in 2010, he first scratched his culinary itch by launching Providence Pizza with his brother in 2014.

But it was a 2022 family trip to New Jersey—and a few heavenly bites of chewy, golden bagels—that reawakened his deep carb-fueled calling. What started as a humble Saturday pop-up is now a full-blown phenomenon, with Luca Bagel drawing lines that snake through the farmers market faster than you can say “everything with schmear.” And judging by the demand, Salvatore knew it was time to go from pop-up to permanent. His brand new Brookside brick-and-mortar location might very well be open by the time you read this.

We caught up with the bagel baron while he was putting the finishing touches on his new digs to quiz him with our whacky questions. It’s more difficult than you’d think to inhale a bagel and ask questions simultaneously. Bless.

Photo Courtesy of Luke Salvatore

The Pitch: What’s the best-worst (worst-best?) piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Luke Salvatore: Probably, go to college. Without diving in too deep here, it set me on a trajectory that in no way prepared me for what I would end up doing professionally. But, on the other hand, my lack of preparation forced me to adapt, to work extremely hard, and do some rather uncomfortable things to get where I needed to be.

Poor life choices often give us a needed opportunity to grow!

If you were an ice cream, what ice cream (flavor) would you be? 

Hmmmmm, I’d be coffee ice cream. I feel it would ensure two positive things: One, I’d have the longest possible life, due to my lack of popularity. And two, when consumed, it’d be at the hands of a worthy ice cream eater, because coffee ice cream is amazing!

Not sure why, but we regularly had Breyers coffee ice cream available in the fridge growing up. Also, have you ever heard of Autocrat Coffee Milk? It’s a Rhode Island thing!

You can literally have anyone you want as your bagel spokesperson. Who you choosin’?

I’m gonna go with Paul Rudd here. Seems like a local-Jewish-guy-turned-celebrity is a logical choice when it comes to promoting your bagel brand. Though originally from the Northeast myself, I’ve come to respect the love Kansas Citians have for this place.

What is the most underutilized ingredient on earth?

Photo Courtesy of Luke Salvatore

I’ll cheat here and say “time” because time is not technically an ingredient. However, in the life of a baker, one is repeatedly learning the simple fact that time was the missing “ingredient” all along. It’s also the very thing needed to take whatever that thing was, from average to exceptional.

Bread, pizza dough, and bagels become great when sufficient time is provided.

Bonus 5th Question: What’s the worst ride at an amusement park? 

Not sure what it’s called, but it’s shaped like a wheel and the ‘riders’ (you’re not really “riding” anything) stand up against the wall as it spins faster and faster, making you sorta stick to the wall.

That ride messed me up pretty bad as a kid.  I remember not being able to move my arms or legs and wishing it would end. Little did I know the end of that ride would culminate in a vomiting session.