Wilton Gets a Steve's Bagels

With warm peach toned walls, comfortable chairs and new wood floors, Steve’s Bagels & Café in Wilton is open for business. 

has been a highly profitable business and the owners are offering the same kind of healthy, home-made dishes and bagels that made the original location such a success. 

“They [the owners] wanted to venture out and keep us small business owners alive,” said Barbara Oeschger, a businesswoman and mother of co-owner Toni Piazza. “They are very successful in Ridgefield and we hope for the same here in Wilton.”

The café serves as a meeting place within walking distance of several of Wilton’s businesses. Comfy seating and spacious surroundings provide an environment meant for relaxation and small, midday meetings. High chairs are available for children who might be joining the grown-ups for some juice and a made-from-scratch bagel.  But business is still gathering steam.

“A lot of people don’t even know we are here yet,” said Barbara Oeschger, Piazza’s mother.

“About a year ago we started looking in Wilton for some space,” said Piazza. “It’s basically the same kind of town as Ridgefield.”

“I was excited because it’s a bit of a hike up to Ridgefield,” said Carole Allers, a Wilton resident who was shopping at Wilton's Steve's.

“My sister and I used to drive up to Ridgefield just for Steve’s Bagels—we would park our car, go running, and then stop in,” she said.

Her favorite item?  The everything bagel with scallion cream cheese and turkey meat.

“We get a lot of responses from people who have come in,” Piazza said. "People like what they’ve tried.”

Steve's has always been about great food. The shop fashions itself as a New York-style bagel joint, and if it's one thing that means success for small shops in New York, it's the product.

“We hope that once they get a taste of things, they realize the quality of our product,” Oeschger said.

“We are very proud of our products and what we put out there. We take pride in all that we sell. I’d say our bagels are our most popular item on the menu, we make them from scratch. We make everything from scratch-our breads, our dessert breads, our cream cheese, our salads. We have a variety of sandwiches, but whatever you want, we’ll make them customized for you,” she said.

Some of the coffee options available are: Island Coconut, Caramel Vanilla Cream, Hazelnut, the Dark Magic Espresso blend, Vermont Country Blend (decaffeinated), and the infamous Breakfast Blend.

Bill Brautigam, who said he visits the café often, stopped in for some Dark Magic Espresso. With his own mug in hand, he was happy to experience quick and friendly service. Brautigam was familiar with Steve’s Bagels & Café in Ridgefield.

“I’m usually here two or three times a week, just to get coffee,” said Bill Brautigam, who stated he visited the café often. With his own mug in hand, he said he was happy to experience quick and friendly service. 

On a Tuesday afternoon people speckled the premises every so often to indulge in a cup of coffee or have a quick bite to eat. So far there hasn’t been an overabundance of customers, although the staff hopes that will change.

Thanks to the large glass windows, Steve’s is an enjoyable place to meet with family, friends, or co-workers for a break on a sunny day. Free Wifi is available to anyone who would like to use it on the rainy days.

“We are still in the process of decorating,” Oeschger said. “We just need a few more touches.”

Oeschger and her staff of nine aim to serve food and beverages that people enjoy.

Piazza said she enjoyed  the new opportunity to become involved with a new community.

“We’ve participated in community [events]. We are donating coffee for the Wilton Go Green Festival and we have always supported the Wilton Wahoos and we like to support local schools,” said Piazza.

Piazza has appreciated the response of the community and encourages community members to stop in and discover a new favorite on the menu. Steve’s is located on 151 Old Ridgefield Road in Wilton, and 463 Main St. in Ridgefield.