This here's your typical story of bagel guy meets schmear girl.Gabe Chapin, dough aficionado/avid outdoorsman from Saranac Lake, NY and Mikela Aramburu, foodie mamacita/Renaissance woman from Seattle, WA, met in Homer and were spending a blissful first winter in courtship when, after countless late nights of R&D, Gabe achieved the perfect Alaskan bagel. Though Mikela would miss being stirred at 2 am to sample the warm, buttery handiwork of her insomniac lover, she decided then that they must join forces and expertise to take these traditional-yet-newfangled orbs to a new level. And Homer, they decided, would come along for the ride.
When they took their business for a test spin in a pop-up tent at the local Farmers Market, they could not have prepared themselves for the continuous line that gathered until their baskets were empty-- every single time. Gabe was rolling, boiling and baking all night to produce what was gone in less than an hour. Mikela used a borrowed commercial kitchen to prep sandwich ingredients and produce enough flavored schmears to satisfy the Saturday masses.
And so the message was loud and clear: This town was ready for a full-fledged bagel shop. They combed the area and settled on a sweet little space 3 miles out of town in the heart of Homer's industrial/boatyard area. After ten months of extensive renovation,on February 1st 2013, The Bagel Shop opened its doors to the public.
As their love grows, so does the bagel business. They are incredibly grateful to the many folks who have offered kindness, advice and energy along the way, especially their talented, hilarious staff-- the best in the business. Gabe and Mikela spend their days feeling honored to carve out a living in this spectacular place, serving up creative, homemade food to the hungry and hardworking community they adore.
A ginormous, heartfelt THANK YOU for your support!
