It is often said that there are no bagels like a New York-style bagel and one local business owner is putting that theory to the test. Horizon West resident Jeff Perera has started a baking business out of his home kitchen selling fresh-to-order bagels.
Perera started this new baking journey out of a unique circumstance. He lost his job in the senior-living industry this past August and his wife, who was a stay-at-home mom, went back to work.
That led to a role reversal where Perera became a stay-at-home dad looking for a way to build a business from home. After being a baker of desserts and sweets, he switched it up to bagels when he saw a void in the market around Horizon West.
Perera toyed with various recipes for weeks before perfecting his menu. He began soliciting orders in early November and interest started pouring in thanks to social media and word of mouth.
Perera also cites the power of the mom network throughout West Orange County as a reason for his quick business success. By December, Perera had fully booked up his orders for the month.
Each week, Perera runs through 150 pounds of flour. The batches of bagels begin baking early in the morning and take about a day to complete.
