Owning It: Brunch, South Street Bagels and The Bake Shop on 20th
We asked John O’Brien (Chef/Owner of Brunch, Conshohocken @brunch_conshy) if he could remember the first moment he wanted to cook.
Around 6-7 years old // Every Sunday my Welsh-Scottish-Irish Grandmother made dinner from scratch // Even the bread, soup, and dessert.
She had this old white metal pantry cabinet // All of her spices and baking supplies were kept here // She would grab a few out on a Sunday morning and smell // Enticed her to experiment with new flavors in scratch cooking // I would follow her lead and knew I could do this too.
What keeps you going?
A hot cup of Bean2Bean every morning... // I seriously love cooking // Even slicing and dicing relaxes me // Always have been a Chef first before anything else // The creativity behind it is truly what drives me // Trying new combinations of foods I've never experimented with before makes me feel like a mad scientist // I take a day to taste everything in my head first before I make it // It gives me a clear path to create exactly what I want every time
We asked Aaron Wagner (Owner of South St. Philly Bagels @southstphillybagel) why he took over the family business?
I wouldn’t say I took it over as much as I expanded my grandfather's vision // He owned The Bagel Place in Cherry Hill back in the 90's // I started baking bagels with him when I was 13, as soon as I could reach the top of kettle we boiled them in // I would go in at 4am, bake for awhile, work the register, and then go to school.
My father Michael Wagner opened the doors of South St Bagels during the blizzard of '96 // I had a year of college under my belt // Wanted to find something I was passionate about // College and a 9-5 career just weren't part of my life goals // Traveled the world for the next 5 years // Laying on a beach in Hawaii, I got the call 'Aaron, It's Dad. I need help keeping the store open. I need your help' // I came home, learned how to boil/bake again, drove the van, spruced up the store // Anything and everything my father needed.
Two decades have passed since then // 4 bagel stores and more to come // I've always wanted to share my grandfather's vision of what a bagel should be // Now I get to share it with the city of Philadelphia every day of my life // There is no more rewarding feeling in the world then seeing people happy as they enjoy a piece of my family history.
We asked Lisa Cosgrove (Owner of Bakeshop on 20th, Philadelphia @bakeshopon_20th) how she came upon owning a bakery.
My mother baked cakes every week when I was a child // Many mornings the entire house would be filled with the smells of vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon and so much more // She began teaching me her recipes // Baking was always a comforting connection to get closer to my mother // Since then, I always had a dream of owning my own bakery.
In my twenties I worked in various Philly bakeries // Ultimate Bake Shoppe (locations in Ardmore, Wayne, Jenkintown) is where I started honing my skills // Also where I learned about how to run a bakery like a business and not a hobby.
Early on I left baking for the corporate world // I was miserable, but knew I could use these skills in a bakery // I knew I could use baked goods as a way to connect to others just as I had with my mother // Now, here I am with my husband Mark (who hand slices all of our smoked salmon) as proud owners of my childhood dream // The smell and warmth of the bakery is immediately comforting and reminds me every day why I do what I do