Going ‘Full Bagel' Helped This Franchise Bring in Serious Dough

Jeff Perera, co-founder of Jeff's Bagel Run, shares how a layoff and a homemade bagel turned into one of the restaurant industry's fastest-growing brands. He explains why building in public, sharing the journey and never sacrificing quality have fueled the company's growth.

Watch now to learn how storytelling, consistency and transparency helped turn a homemade bagel into one of the restaurant industry's fastest-growing brands.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Chapters:

[02:16] - Baking Live at Restaurant Leadership Conference

[07:48] - Getting Laid Off Changed Everything

[20:54] - Going Full Bagel

[28:41] - Baking 1.5 Million Bagels

[47:12] - Finding Bagel-Obsessed People

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

PEPSICO IS A SPONSOR OF THE RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS PODCAST —

Restaurant Influencers is proud to have PepsiCo as a sponsor of this episode. Partnering with PepsiCo Foodservice helps restaurant operators drive sustainable growth through smarter digital experiences, AI-backed menu optimization, and tools designed to create more profitable online orders.

Check out PepsiCo Foodservice

Episode Links:

Jeff Perera LinkedIn

Danielle Perera LinkedIn

Jeff’s Bagel Run

Jeff’s Bagel Run Instagram

Jeff’s Bagel Run Facebook

Jeff’s Bagel Run TikTok

The Weekly Run Podcast on YouTube

Key Takeaways:

Going All In Creates Momentum: Jeff and Danielle Perera didn't build Jeff's Bagel Run by waiting for the perfect moment. After losing his job, selling $85,000 worth of bagels from home and eventually selling their house to open a storefront, they committed fully to the business.

Storytelling Builds Stronger Brands: Before Jeff's Bagel Run grew to 35 locations with another 180 in development, Jeff spent 397 consecutive days sharing the business on social media and eventually launched The Weekly Run podcast. For Perera, documenting the journey wasn't a marketing tactic. It was a way to bring customers, employees and future franchisees into the story.

Transparency Attracts The Right People: Even after baking more than 1.5 million bagels, Perera still enjoys teaching others how it's done. Whether explaining his process in a hotel kitchen or inviting people behind the scenes online, he believes sharing knowledge doesn't weaken the brand. It helps attract people who care about making great bagels as much as he does.

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ABOUT JEFF PERERA —

Jeff Perera is the co-founder of Jeff's Bagel Run. After being laid off in August 2019, he became a stay-at-home dad and bagel baker. With more than 20 years of leading retail operations, he started a small home bakery and built it into a business. In July 2021, Jeff's Bagel Run opened its first shop, began franchising at the end of 2023, and has since grown to 25 locations nationwide, with many, many more on the way.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media