I got laid off and became a stay-at-home dad. My wife’s request for a bagel helped me figure out what I wanted to do next.
In a heartwarming tale of resilience and entrepreneurship, Jeff Perera transformed his life after losing his retail job by becoming a stay-at-home dad and discovering his passion for making bagels. Initially, Perera was uncertain about his new role as a full-time father, especially since he was often the only dad at playgroups. However, this shift in lifestyle provided him with the opportunity to reflect on his identity, which had long been intertwined with his career. The pivotal moment came when his wife, Danielle, who had fond memories of New York-style bagels from her childhood, asked him if he could make her one. Living in Central Florida, where quality bagels were scarce, Jeff took on the challenge, despite having no prior baking experience. His first attempts were far from perfect, but his determination and daily practice during the pandemic led to significant improvements.
As Jeff honed his bagel-making skills, he began to share his creations with friends and family, leading to a surge of interest. A local journalist’s feature on his bagels sparked an overwhelming response, and soon his home kitchen transformed into a bustling operation. The couple faced challenges, from managing a growing demand to upgrading their equipment, but their dedication paid off. In 2020, they participated in their first market, where they witnessed enthusiastic customers lining up for their bagels, even in inclement weather. This success prompted them to launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund their dream of opening a bagel shop, ultimately raising over $28,000. By 2021, they opened Jeff’s Bagel Run in Ocoee, Florida, and have since expanded to over 100 locations across six states.
The journey of Jeff’s Bagel Run is not just about baking bagels; it reflects the couple’s commitment to each other and their shared vision. While starting a business with a spouse can be challenging, Jeff and Danielle have learned to navigate their partnership by prioritizing their relationship above all else. Their story is a testament to the power of adaptability, creativity, and love, proving that sometimes, the best recipes for success come from unexpected beginnings.
Jeff Perera became a stay-at-home dad after losing his retail job — and started making bagels.
Provided by Jeff’s Bagel Run
Jeff Perera became a stay-at-home dad after he lost his job in retail.
He and his wife had been searching
Florida for a true New York-style bagel
— until he started to make them himself.
They sold their house, raised $28,000 on Kickstarter, and opened a bagel shop
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jeff Perera, 48, the cofounder of
Jeff’s Bagel Run
. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I met my wife while
working at Target
, marking the beginning of what became a decadeslong career in retail. Over the years, I moved into leadership roles at several major brands before eventually joining a senior living company in a senior role.
Then, in August 2019, I got a call that changed everything: I was being let go. At the time, my wife, Danielle — who’d also built a successful career — was home full-time with our four kids.
At first, settling into the role of
stay-at-home dad
wasn’t natural — not because of the dad part, but because I was often the only dad at the park or play group.
Still, it gave me a rare chance to slow down. Danielle, who had decided to
return to corporate work
around that time, helped me realize I’d never really taken a step back to ask what I wanted next.
My identity had been closely tied to my job for years. I had no idea that space would make room for a question that would change everything: “Jeff, can you make me a bagel?”
When you can’t find the best bagel
Some people go on coffee runs. Others go on Target runs or beer runs. For Danielle and me, it was always a weekly bagel run. But
living in Central Florida
— a true bagel desert — meant driving 45 minutes to find a decent New York-style bagel.
So when my wife popped the question, given my newfound free time, I decided to try making her the
perfect bagel
.
Danielle has vivid childhood
memories of bagels
, riding in her mom’s station wagon on Long Island, eating one fresh from the bag. The best foods, of course, can transport us back to moments we just want to taste one more time.
The problem was, I’d never baked anything in my life. I had zero culinary training. I just looked up the first recipe I could find and got to work. Those first bagels were terrible — dense, misshapen, and far from New York standards. But that only inspired me to try again.
Every day, Danielle would come home from work to a new batch waiting for her to critique.
Then the pandemic hit, and my family was locked down with a mad bagel scientist. I’d make up to six dozen bagels a day. Bowls of dough covered the counters, each marked with recipe notes. My kids helped knead and mix, turning the kitchen into a full-on test lab.
Danielle would taste and review each one — the chewiness, the salt, the crust. Eventually, she joked that her work clothes might stop fitting if I didn’t stop baking. So, we started giving them away.
When he was getting started, Perera would make up to six dozen bagels per day, determined to get it right,
Provided by Jeff’s Bagel Run
Getting it right
The look on my wife’s face when I finally nailed the perfect bagel was unforgettable. We looked at each other and asked: Could we actually sell these?
I made a simple flyer,
posted on Instagram
, and sold a few dozen. One of our early customers was a local journalist who wrote about us, and suddenly we had more orders than we could handle.
Our kitchen exploded into a full-scale operation. We had five refrigerators stretching into the garage, extension cords running everywhere, and breakers popping constantly. We upgraded our confection ovens.
In the third week of the pandemic, we started posting our bagel menu. Our bagels were selling out in seconds. During one stretch, we baked for 27 days straight. I delivered bagels across town, spreading a little joy during lockdown.
Scaling up
In 2020, we did our first in-person market. People lined up for a block to buy bagels. The next year, a downpour hit mid-market, and every other vendor packed up. But our line stayed. We threw tarps over the bagels, and people showed up soaked to buy half a dozen. That’s when we knew we had something real.
We sold our house and launched a
Kickstarter campaign
with a $10,000 goal. We raised over $22,000 from 276 backers, enough to buy equipment and take the next step. Danielle quit her job, and together we opened our first store in Ocoee, Florida, in 2021.
Today, Jeff’s Bagel Run — named after our weekly drives to find the best bagels — is a growing franchise with more than 100 stores in six states, and counting.
Danielle Perera grew up in Long Island, New York, and wanted to find the perfect bagel in Florida.
Provided by Jeff’s Bagel Run
Peace, love, and bagels
Starting a
business with your spouse
can be tough. We make it work by having short memories; what happens at work stays at work.
Our corporate leadership training kicks in when we need to manage challenges or each other, but at the end of the day, we always choose “us” over the business.
Building something from scratch taught me a lot about trust, not just in my partner but in myself. In my corporate days, I always had a mentor or a boss to call for advice. Now, it’s just us.
Read the original article on
Business Insider
