About Us & Blacklist Bagels
When we first started dating back in 2016, we were both in our early 20s working in the restaurant industry. Gretchen was getting her own Photography business off the ground while Kev worked in numerous restaurants over the years & been in every position from line cook, dishwasher, head chef, to general manager.
At the age of 20, he worked at Breuggers Bagels (not thinking this would be his entire life one day) & enjoyed the process. After moving to Grand Rapids, he continued the search for a great bagel with very limited options in GR, or even Michigan. There were okay ones here & there, but he couldn’t find any that was a true New York style bagel. During the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic, we started making bagels at home, testing ingredients and techniques, & realized (holy shit) these are some damn good bagels. We would drop them off on friends & family’s doorsteps which was well received & with that encouragement we began our Blacklist Bagels venture.
Our bagels are made by sticking to the New York style/methodology as much as possible. We kneed by hand, we use barley malt syrup in the dough and the water used to boil, and we bake them until that outside crust gives you the desired crunch and optimal chew.
We currently operate out a shared kitchen space & are a popup business only. We have very limited hours due to this setup & also work other jobs on top of getting our Bagel Biz off the ground! Our current goal is to get a food truck/trailer & eventually a storefront one day. ❤️🥯✌️
xx Kev and Gretch
Favorite Bagel Sandwich combo:
Kev - Asiago Bagel with Sausage, Egg, and Cheese with Chipotle Aioli
Gretch - Jalapeno Cheddar Bagel with Chorizo, Egg, and Cheese with anything ~ spicy