Bloomington Bagel Company.

OVERVIEW

• The original Dunn Street location (near Kirkwood) features tables covered in photos of people holding BBC bagels from all around the world.

• BBC uses authentic recipes from the historic Bagel Bakers Local #338 in New York City.

HISTORY 

At first Bloomington Bagel Company was a Panda Express on Dunn Street, but it was torn down and rebuilt afterward they bought in and the business began in August 1996. The owner Sue Aquila wanted to open a bakery. Bloomington Bagel Co. did not own a toaster in the beginning. Sue Aquila had spent all of her money to open the business. There was a flood in the building on June 18–19, 2021. On its first day of business, customers were asked to take photos of themselves with a Bloomington Bagel Co. bagel on their travels. many pictures can be found in all Bloomington Bagel Co. locations. Sue Aquila has owned this building for over 25 Years, but more about Ms. Aquila. She had a lot of a problem with Indiana. There was not any bagels in the slightest and that made her sad so she decided to make her own bagels, but then she saw her bagel were gaining popularity She started Bloomington Bagel Co. and all because she wanted bagels in bloomington for everyone.

ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY

The Bloomington Bagel Company is very culturally significant to the city of Bloomington. Specifically, they provide local food and an inclusive space to all people including people of color. Furthermore, people sometimes use it as a meeting place to get breakfast and chat with friends. They make everything in house every morning and model their bagels after the New York City's Bagel Bakers Local #338.  Bagel Bakers Local #338 was a union of mostly Jewish bagel bakers in New York City that started in the early 1900s. They had strict control over the way that bagels should be made. For example, bagels had to be made by hand, weigh exactly 3 ounces, baked in the early morning, and looped in batches of five.

They also have  made some great collaborations with other companies. More  specifically, they have collaborated with The Library and Upstairs Pub. They shared their bagels with them and they made a flavor for them called the Dunkirk, which is a cocktail. Additionally, they had an event at the Boys and Girls Club called Lindsey O'Brien Kesling Wishing Tree Foundation. It was a charity event to help people in need. Bloomington Bagel Company provided what they could give to them. 

The company is owned by Sue Aquila. She has a wife that works with her at the Bloomington Bagel Company. Sue has been a long-time supporter of the LGBTQ community. She rallied the local business community to oppose anti-LGBTQ legislation in our state. Since her arrival in Bloomington, Sue has supported IU's LGBTQ+ Cultural Center by providing meeting space for queer groups and allies. As a local employer, she has also  hired students to help them pay for their college expenses. 

Overall, their mission and core value is to bring bagels from her hometown to here in Bloomington, Indiana. She wants to make them homemade and fresh and tries to add new flavors.