How to Start a Bagel Shop

Bagels are a classic breakfast food that became famous in New York City but are now enjoyed throughout the country. A bagel shop business provides bagels, which are a convenient, tasty and filling meal, to patrons for breakfast and lunch. In addition to bagels, most bagel shops also have beverages and sides, so customers can get a complete meal quickly.

Learn how to start your own Bagel Shop and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services.

Start a bagel shop by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Bagel Shop
  2. Form your Bagel Shop into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Bagel Shop for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Bagel Shop
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Bagel Shop
  7. Get Bagel Shop Insurance
  8. Define your Bagel Shop Brand
  9. Create your Bagel Shop Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your bagel shop. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Bagel Shop Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state's business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your bagel shop?

Business Name Generator

What are the costs involved in opening a bagel shop?

The startup costs for a bagel shop usually total tens of thousands of dollars. Some of the largest expenses include rent, equipment costs and employee salaries (if hiring employees). Other expenses include bagel-making supplies, expenses for other foods and beverages, supplies to put bagels in and cups.

Business owners who want to keep their startup costs minimal can find a small retail location so their rent is lower. A small location will also make it easier to grab items for customers, so business owners may be able to do all the work themselves and might not need to hire an employee. Purchasing used equipment, which costs substantially less than new, can also provide significant savings.

What are the ongoing expenses for a bagel shop?

The ongoing expenses for a bagel business include rent, licensing fees, employees’ salaries, costs for bagel-making supplies and other foods, costs for beverages, and costs for serving supplies.

Who is the target market?

An ideal customer for a bagel shop business is someone who eats breakfast but doesn’t have much time. Bagels are a quick, satisfying food. Bagel shops often appeal to both people with lots of discretionary income and those on tighter budgets, because bagels are relatively inexpensive.

How does a bagel shop make money?

A bagel shop business makes money by selling bagels, other food items and beverages to customers. Some businesses may also cater events.

How much can you charge customers?

An article by Serious Eats looked at the price of a bagel at several bagel chains in New York (and Dunkin’ Donuts). A plain bagel ranged in price from $1.80 to $3.00, and a bagel with cream cheese ranged from $1.65 to $4.50. Prices elsewhere might be slightly lower, as New York City is known both for its bagels and high prices.

The other foods and beverages sold by bagel shops, such as fresh fruit, yogurt, coffee and tea usually cost about the same as a bagel or a bagel with cream cheese.

How much profit can a bagel shop make?

How much a bagel shop business can make depends on how many customers a business serves in a day, week, month or year. For this reason, location selection is extremely important when starting up a bagel shop. In order to succeed, a shop should be located in a busy area.

How can you make your business more profitable?

A bagel shop business can increase its profitability by upselling customers. Featuring bagel sandwiches, which sell for more than a bagel with cream cheese, and offering other options, like espresso beverages and granola, can increase the average ticket price.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your bagel shop is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services. You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

  • Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
  • Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a bagel shop. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

In particular, most states require retail businesses such as bagel shops to obtain a seller’s permit. A seller’s permit enables states to record and collect taxes from goods (and sometimes service) sales.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Bagel Shop needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Bagel Shop.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended: Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a bagel shop

All marketing efforts should be focused on residents, workers and commuters who are in the area that a bagel shop serves, which can be fairly small. Signs help draw attention to a business.

To get people in the door initially, business owners can go to nearby businesses with coupons for free bagels or coffee. Giving away free items will encourage people to visit, and word will quickly spread if people like what they have.

How to keep customers coming back

A bagel shop business can set itself apart by making authentic bagels. Many places, including coffee shops, grocery stores and diners, offer bagels. These are often frozen products that are thawed, though. A fresh-baked bagel will taste much better, and many people will specifically seek out great bagels. For this reason, business owners should take a bagel-making course.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

Anyone who is passionate about food and enjoys serving other people may be well-suited for opening a bagel shop business. The business involves lots of hands-on work making bagels and brewing coffee, and business owners are regularly serving and interacting with customers.

Because bagels are mainly eaten for breakfast and lunch, bagel shops are open during the morning and, sometimes, early afternoon. Owners should be prepared to work almost every morning, although they may close one day a week so they can have a day off. Additionally, many owners close their businesses for holidays.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a bagel shop?

A bagel shop business owner starts their day in the early morning making bagels, brewing coffee and preparing other food items. As the morning progresses, business picks up and business owners transition from prepping foods and drinks to serving customers. As business slows later in the day, work usually focuses on cleaning and getting ready for the next day (although any customers that come in while the business is open are still served).

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful bagel shop?

Bagel business owners should, first and foremost, know how to make bagels. Many companies sell bagels wholesale that can be baked in-store, which is relatively easy to do. Business owners that want to bake their own bagels, however, should take a bagel-making course to learn the craft. There are many companies that offer short classes on bagel making. Sour Flour and the International Culinary Center are two companies that hold workshops.

Business owners should also be familiar with how to manage their workflow and employees. Visiting other bagel shops and observing how they run their operations is a free way to get some insights. Bagel shop owners in other cities may be willing to sit down and talk, as a bagel shop in a different city won’t create competition for them.

What is the growth potential for a bagel shop?

A bagel shop business can be as small as a single location or as big as a national chain. Many successful bagel shops are regional, having a few locations in a particular area.

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Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

How and when to build a team

A small bagel shop business can be run with just one person, but it involves a lot of work. As soon as possible, at least one employee should be hired to help expedite service during busy hours and relieve the owner of some day-to-day duties.

The next person hired is usually someone who can bake, although they may also perform other duties. Once a baker is hired and trained, the owner can take an occasional day off.

Depending on how big and busy a bagel shop is, it may be necessary to hire additional employees. A bagel shop business may have anywhere from just a few to a dozen or more employees.

According to PayScale, a baker at a bagel shop makes an average wage of $11.24 an hour. A cashier who doesn’t bake bagels earns about $8.85 per hour. Other employees’ wages may range between these two figures, depending on the level of responsibility that an employee has.

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