The Bagelman’ to Open

Starting in mid-April, customers craving bagels from The Bagelman, Michael Reath, won’t have to wait until Saturdays during Farmers Market season to get them. The “New York Style Bagel Eatery” will be opening at 210 S. Washington in downtown Owosso, offering breakfast and lunch sandwiches, soups and desserts, in addition to Reath’s wellknown bagels in as many as 15 flavors. The shop will offer dining in with seating for up to 37, takeout and small deliveries. They also plan to offer some outdoor seating in the summer. Reath started at the Downtown Farmers Market four years ago selling his bagels. Over time, customers started asking for a place to buy his bagels year-round and during the week. One day, a friend of Reath’s, Linda Beeman, took a bag of bagels to a friend of hers in East Lansing, Aaron Hoffman. Hoffman liked the bagels so much he asked to meet Reath.
From that meeting, a business venture was born. Hoffman signed on as a partner and turned over the keys to Reath, hiring Beeman as the business manager. Hoffman stated that he had a chance 40 years ago to invest in a bagel company and didn’t and stated he always regretted it. “Now is my opportunity to do it. The demographics here are good. The city has growth and potential,” says Hoffman. Hoffman has been in the retail business for 40 years. He has a consulting business and is a realtor. He states, “this is my last hurrah.” Reath married his wife in Owosso almost 40 years ago and has lived in the Owosso/Corunna area for 20 years. They have two sons. He has been in the restaurant business all his life, and has previously managed two cafes in Okemos and Lansing where he started making bagels. Along the way, he perfected the bagel recipe and began selling them at the Downtown Farmers Market. At the Home Garden Business Expo on March 14 and 15 at Owosso High School he sold almost 1,000 bagels and had many local businesses show interest in having bagels delivered for meetings