You could say it started when "fun-employment" fun sparked creativity: A couple of longtime friends, Michelle and Maureen, were both avid bakers who liked bagels. Michelle was trying her hand at baking them and keeping track of her taste-ventures on social media, while Maureen was happily being handed off Michelle's home-baked bagels as lunches for her adventures on the slopes.
But the seeds of what became 麻豆传媒映画pop-up bagel business––and their now-signature adorable Jellycat-inspired bagels––was actually planted many years before, when Michelle and Maureen became friends in preschool.
After a few up and down years of jobs, side hustles, and baking experiments, those "bagel days" morphed into a full-fledged business, fittingly named .
Taking its cue from Michelle's Instagram "bagel diary" of her daily bagel flavours (including many made at Maureen's suggestion) the name Bagel Day was as obvious a choice as it was for the longtime friends to go into business in 2023, the duo shared with V.I.A. in an email interview.
Goal to showcase Asian heritage and flavours in bagel form
At first the venture was low-key, with the duo using the old friend distribution system with tester boxes of their evolving hybrid "bao-gel" recipes. The friends wanted to make a bagel that showcased Asian flavours and techniques for something a little different.
They also saw space for what they were doing in the local baked good ecosystem.
"There is a variety of specialty cookies, donuts, and cakes available in the 麻豆传媒映画market already and we saw that there was an opportunity still available for yeast based products and we were most interested in producing bagels - specifically bagel flavours that are Asian inspired and things that are nostalgic to our childhood, i.e. Asian bakery buns like Bolo Bao and Pizza Pops," Maureen and Michelle explained.
Among the flavours in the Bagel Day rotation are Scallion Pancake, Honey Butter Kaya, Pork Floss, and Gochujang Honey Garlic Cream Cheese. They also have scones, in flavours like Everything But the Bagel or Tomato Basil.
Enter the Jellycats
But it was a stroke of genius for the former designer and e-comm and marketing pro (Michelle) and former CPA (Maureen) ahead of Thanksgiving last year that inspired what has now become Bagel Day's most-sought items: Bagels made to look like Jellycats.
The idea evolved from pumpkin pie flavoured bagel to pumpkin shaped bagel to pumpkin Jellycat bagel. And then: why not make more styles?
Their Jellycat-inspired bagels are exactly what they sound like: squishy, sweet-faced creations modelled after the internet-beloved plush toys. Think Tomato, Eggplant, Pretzel, Raindrop, Cinnamon Roll, Leek, even a Chili Pepper—with smiley faces and major cuddle-me energy, all baked into a chewy bagel. They’ve become an instant hit at local markets, where customers often show up with their own Jellycats in tow, just to complete the vibe.
"Also, we love it when people come by to comment that we look like we’re running our own produce stand!" added the Bagel Day operators.
How to get Bagel Day bagels and scones: Events and orders
Right now Bagel Day has several pop-up events in 麻豆传媒映画planned showcasing their Jellycat bagels. You can on Sunday, April 27 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), as well as the Riley Park Farmers Market on April 26, May 10, and May 24 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Additionally, they'll be at their home base of Commissary Connect on May 17.
Customers can also pre-order bagels and more for pick up from Bagel Day's space at Commissary Connect (417 Industrial St).
However, just as enjoying eating a bagel has an endpoint, so, alas, does Bagel Day.
Maureen and Michelle shared the news that Bagel Day will be winding down in May before going on an indefinite hiatus. The friends say they are planning a final event that is fitting to their journey, heritage, and bagels, and will share those details soon.
For more information on pop-up events, menu items, and pre-orders, visit Bagel Day's website and follow the business on Instagram .
With additional reporting by Brendan Kergin
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