Have your Bagel and eat it too!

I discovered bagels when I moved temporarily to Canada. These big round breads could be filled with so many amazing fillings that you could have a bagel a day and not go through all the possible fillings. They got even better in New York – possibly the home of bagels where the crunchy bread with soft cream cheese is a breakfast staple.

So, you can imagine my joy on moving back to India and reading about Bagelwala! (Most of the bagels I have had in India before this have been soft round breads impersonating to be a bagel just because they have a hole in the middle). Situated on a quiet Bandra street, this tiny shop serves up quite the original bagels – and offer great customer service too [This is my post on customer service where I have actually mentioned Bagelwala!].

On discovering that Sanal Nair, Co-Founder of the Bagelwala! is actually a fellow Rodinhooder I spoke to him about his story and here is what he had to say:

Why Bagelwala!? Why not cakes, breads, cupcakes or Sandwich – wala?

During our travels to the west, we got acquainted with bagels and learned about the bagel revolution that had swept the whole of US. However, we realized that in India the typical characteristics of a bagel are hugely altered to resemble a pav or a bun. We wanted to change the perception that authentic bagels do not have a universal taste, keeping in mind its dense and crunchy nature. Bagels are wholesome and filling – freshly made, and easy to grab and go, too! Besides, no other bread offers so many flavours and the combines so beautifully with cream cheese.

Why do you do what you do? Tell us the story behind you becoming a Bagelwala!?

Any good or bad idea, any successful or unsuccessful venture sparks off from an inspirational thought. For a moment you think your idea is invincible. Your idea is novel and the future of mankind rests on it. It’s the NEXT BIG idea. Well, I don’t want to disappoint or discourage you from thinking big however in our case it was just doing something to make enough money to build a container house, right on top of the hill. Yes, a container house that overlooks the snow-clad mountain. It all started from that escapist thought.

From then on it was a journey. On our journey we countered some rough terrains, strong winds, thunders and heavy rains. We survived.

Our dream to make bagels wasn’t really about doing something sensationally “innovative” in the way that the word is usually used — this wasn’t about inventing the iPod or coming up with the theory of relativity. It was really kind of simple. We wanted to look back in time to the bagel’s origin so we could bake a really good, hand-shaped, crusty, chewy bagel we would feel good about making, that would be as close as possible to what was being baked hundreds of years ago. 

We worked hard to get the product right. It took us over a year to come up with the perfect recipe. During our research, each day we woke up thinking today might be it. We were very close to the product yesterday and today we shall decode the bagels. But it was not to be. As each day progressed, we felt miserable and helpless. However we never lost sight of the vision, which was to create an honest product. It would have been far easier to ape the products in the market but we chose not to, instead we chose the road-less-travelled and that indeed has made all the difference.

Share one or two instances on your entrepreneur journey that make you shiver or make you feel proud of what you have achieved?

There have been many moments of joy and disappointment in our journey so far. One instance that instilled a lot of belief in us is when we had a New Yorker visit out store.

I could see it in his eyes he was going to be dismissive of the product, if it wasn’t close to anything than a New York bagel. Like a purist, he called for a bagel and cream cheese. In few minutes, toasted bagel and schmear arrived. As he took the first bite I heard the crunchy sound, which was quite reassuring for me. But the verdict was not out yet. He nodded and told me ‘You got them right and these are for the sure best bagels in India’. No amount of success and joy can substitute that feeling.

Bandra is a place of a million food joints – what are you guys doing to stand out and attract the crowds?

Our product stands out. Majority of the people come for good food. And as food joint that’s what you aim to get right. So that’s quite encouraging. Our location has been bit of a mystery and many customers have discovered the place accidentally. So, our focus is to do a lot of ‘destination marketing’. We do film screenings, jamming sessions and other such events. We recently invited a group called ‘Katha Cues’, which encourages people to come out and share real stories.

What are Bagelwala!’s plans for the future?

We wish to make bagels the everyday bread by reaching out to more and more households. We are looking at expanding in malls, airports and have a presence in corporate cafeterias. We are launching Bagelwala! in Food Hall, Palladium Mall (Phoenix Mills). We have also launched a new service called ‘Bagelwala! Express’, where we will go to office cafeterias and set up kiosks or drop fresh bagels and cream cheese every day.

Our superior product makes it easier for us to differentiate from others. We also plan to launch a range of products that compliments the bagels.

Famous last words to fellow Rodinhooders?

You can try and fail, feel no shame in it. Be honest to yourself.

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Perzen Patel is an idea-shipper and an aspiring entrepreneur. An experienced events and communications professional, Perzen is currently Communications Manager at Ennovent. Her passion in life includes hosting events, writing about entrepreneurship and innovation as well as travelling and meeting new people. Perzen believes that great moments are born out of great opportunities – which is why she is constantly following her gut to try new things like a 100km Trailwalk or a jump into thin air from 12000ft.

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Editor’s note: This is the first interview of our series of ‘Meet the Rodinhooders’ – where any Rodinhooder can interview another one! if you’d like to interview another Rodinhooder, or would like to be interviewed, simply send an email to asha@rodinhood.com

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