MUSCATINE — “It’s a beautiful day for a bagel.”
That’s an unofficial motto for Gavin Meerdink and Leslie Rada — the owners of The Bagel Shop in downtown Muscatine.
Their storefront bagel business opened in January across the street from the Musser Public Library and next door to the Black Pearl Caffeine + Espresso shop.
Since then, The Bagel Shop has been attracting customers who are searching for great bagels and other food and drink treats.
“It’s been great here. … it’s a good feeling when you put all your effort into this and it works out,” Mr. Meerdink said in a recent interview with the QCBJ.
The engaged couple — who expect to be married next year — sat down on a recent Monday to discuss their new business. (Monday is officially their “day off” from work, but they usually spend the day cleaning the store and doing a variety of other big and small jobs to prepare for another week.)
The couple’s other “day off” is Tuesday, but much of that day is spent getting the bagels ready for the rush of customers who come through the door at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Making a great bagel will take a couple of days, and often the two are on the job, making those bagels at 3:30 a.m., preparing for a busy day. And those days on the job often run 12 to 14 hours every day.
“We wanted to bring something unique and fun here,” said Mr. Meerdink.
Ms. Rada added: “It’s a good feeling being here. It’s really rewarding.”
The main reason for all those rewarding feelings are the bagels. The Muscatine couple said they love bagels so much that they made trips to Des Moines and Chicago to taste some great bagels.
“We had a love for bagels. … We would hit a bagel shop all the time,” said Ms. Rada.
It didn’t take long for them to come up with the plan of making their own bagels. But it took them about eight months of trial-and-error learning to make the bagels they love.
A couple of years ago, they began selling their bagels from a tent that they set up at different vendor events and special events in Muscatine. The tent was eventually replaced by a food truck about a year ago, and they recently got the chance for a bricks-and-mortar business.
These days, they make between 250 to 400 bagels a day for customers. The best-selling bagel is cinnamon crunch. “It sells out every day,” Mr. Meerdink said.
He added that different types of bagels are always on their minds. For instance, they recently offered an Oreo bagel and are considering other flavors — such as chocolate chip and tomato basil — for the future.
In addition, the Muscatine couple strive to ensure their customers have the best bagel experience possible. They care about bagels so much that they even give their customers a small card labeled “Bagel Care Guide” with tips to keep bagels fresh and tasting good. They said those tips are needed because their bagels don’t have artificial preservatives.
Some of those tips include:
- Bagels will remain fresh at room temperatures for one to two days.
- Store your bagels in a sealable bag to be placed in your freezer.
- Defrost the bagels on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes before toasting. Do not microwave.
- Roast bagel in a toaster. A toaster oven also will work well if warming up multiple bagels.
Even though the bagel business is providing a hectic lifestyle and working for almost seven days a week, the couple say they love it and it’s a dream come true.
“What keeps us going is each other, being able to accomplish a dream together is very rewarding. We feel very lucky to be working together while also bringing our dream of owning a business to our hometown,” said Mr. Meerdink. QCBJ
At a Glance: The Bagel Shop
Address: 413 E. Second St., Muscatine.
Phone number: (563) 554-3594.
Website: thebagelshopiowa.com
Hours: Open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Owners: Gavin Meerdink, 26, and Leslie Rada, 25.
On the menu: A large menu of bagels, sandwiches and drinks including these bagel selections: plain, Asiago, cheddar, everything, jalapeno cheddar, blueberry and cinnamon crunch. The deli style sandwiches include turkey and cheese, ham and cheese, and BLT. Drinks include a strawberry banana smoothie and a mango smoothie.
Employees: In addition to Mr. Meerdink and Ms. Rada, the business is assisted by a couple of employees and family members. For instance, Mr. Meerdink’s 80-year-old grandfather, Larry Driskell, helps with many jobs at The Bagel Shop. “Whatever needs to be done, he does it. He’s our go-to guy,” said Ms. Rada. But the couple added that they might employ two or three more workers in the future.
Business’ evolution: Gavin Meerdink and Leslie Rada have had a love for bagels for years. A couple of years ago, they started selling bagels and bagel sandwiches out of a tent during special events and celebrations in Muscatine. Last year, they expanded their business by getting a food truck. They moved into the storefront in downtown Muscatine in January.
