This Dad Lost His Job and Started Making a Breakfast Staple at Home. It Was So Good He Sold $85,000 Worth From His Kitchen.

Six years ago he’d never made a bagel. Now he’s baked more than 1.5 million of them.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Key Takeaways With no culinary background, Jeff started experimenting in his kitchen for a bagel he couldn’t find nearby.

He and his wife sold roughly $85,000 worth of bagels from their home.

They gambled on opening their first store, and the results were better than they could have asked for.

Jeff Perera wasn’t walking the halls during the 2026 Restaurant Leadership Conference. He was in the kitchen.

At the JW Marriott in Phoenix, the founder of Jeff’s Bagel Run was boiling and baking nearly 300 bagels to serve more than 650 restaurant executives before breakfast.

“It’s insane,” Jeff said. “We’re gonna see if we can figure this out.”

Six years earlier, he had never made a bagel.

In 2019, Jeff lost his job. His wife, Danielle, returned to work while he stayed home with their kids. The family had one problem they couldn’t solve: finding a decent bagel without driving 45 minutes.

... continue reading