From Tech Repairs to Bagel Ventures: A Journey of Scale and Success

Initially, I never would have guessed that my career path would lead me into the world of bagels.

My professional journey started with a mishap involving a broken phone in 2009. In my attempt to fix it, I managed to make it worse. This epiphany led me to realize the potential market for electronics repair, especially for those not inclined toward technical fixes.

I began purchasing broken phones and necessary parts, learning the nuances of repair, and selling the service through platforms like eBay and Craigslist. This led my friend David and me to perform repairs during our breaks at Panera Bread. Our first uBreakiFix store was launched in August 2009 and quickly surpassed our expectations, indicating a demand for immediate local repair services.

Over the next three years, our business scaled to 47 company-owned stores. In 2012, we franchised the operation and eventually grew to a network of approximately 550 locations by 2021. We partnered with major technology giants and service providers, using custom technology to maintain uniformity and enhance our efficiency.

After stepping away, I took some time to recharge, focusing on family and contemplating future ventures.

The Surprising Shift to Bagels

The next chapter of my career started quite by chance. A colleague regularly brought in bagels from Jeff’s Bagel Run, a small but burgeoning business in Florida started by Jeff and Danielle Perera. Impressed by their quality and simple business model — focused solely on bagels, spreads, and coffee — I saw great potential for growth.

I met the Pereras, saw parallels to my past experiences with uBreakiFix, and recognized an opportunity to apply my technical and operational knowledge to the food industry. Even now, with our fifth location ready to launch within weeks, the vision is clear: sustainably scale Jeff’s Bagel Run.

This isn’t simply a short-term prospect for me. My goal is to immerse myself entirely in the bagel industry. The camaraderie and pursuit of a unified goal within a team is something I dearly missed after leaving the tech world. Many colleagues from my previous ventures have joined me, and we are committed to building something both enduring and meaningful.

We've integrated advanced technology and developed our own systems for sales and kitchen management. Additionally, we're incorporating real-time capabilities with delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash. Our technology optimizes inventory by forecasting demand and advising bakers on what items to produce at which times, minimizing waste and maximizing freshness.

Strategies for Scaling with Integrity

Inside our locations, every component of our bagels is crafted painstakingly from scratch. Unlike numerous large chains, we resist pre-made or frozen options in favor of authenticity and quality.

With 15 daily bagel flavors and a rotating special flavor, alongside an array of freshly brewed beverages, we ensure a rich customer experience. Our acquisition of our coffee roaster further cements our dedication to quality control.

The hurdles of scaling such a model are real, yet our technological backbone aids in maintaining consistency and excellence across our stores. Secret shopper programs and tech-aided process validation are among the tools we use to ensure uniformity.

While nostalgia for bagels might not come naturally to me, I understand their comfort value, a sentiment embedded in people's routines and fond memories. My mother’s simple act of distributing bagels at work always uplifted spirits, and we're trying to harness that enduring comfort at Jeff's Bagel Run.

Our mission isn’t to revolutionize the bagel — it's simply to make each one the finest it can possibly be.