Crafting Shared Joy With Every Bite - Emily @bloom_bagels
- Kindred Curiosity
- Oct 16
- 8 min read
Whether it's a home cooked meal or a decadent feast outside, food is often a love language. Emily of Bloom Bagels works to ensure that every bite from her bagel shop is filled with care. Read below to learn about Emily's journey through running a brick and mortar!
What made you curious about the bagel business?
For as long as I remember, I’ve always enjoyed making people happy with food or drinks, even though I was horrible in the kitchen. I remember making my sister barf when I made her lunch one day back then – oops. When I was laid off from my tech job, I felt like it was time to explore this passion while I was still young and the job market was bad (not my smartest move, honestly). Since I had no experience in food, I thought buying a shop to learn from an existing business would be beneficial, but most bakeries and cafes were way out of my budget. I decided to acquire a bagel shop since it was more affordable for me and it offered the bakery foundation that I needed. Plus I absolutely loved bagels and thought I could reach an untapped market if I introduced specialty-level drinks to the menu. Personally, I didn’t like that I had to go to two separate places to get good bagels and good drinks, so I wanted to change that.
What is something about the bagel business that you think more people should know about?
This business happened because I was on the brink of bankruptcy with the original acquired business. The downfall was for many reasons, including some of my own doing as a new business owner. I was about to call it quits. One day I was scrolling through Pinterest for any ideas that could save us. Then, something caught my attention: Korean garlic bread. We tried that idea using our leftover bagels (instead of brioche buns) and we immediately loved it. I experimented with different fillings, scrambled to find a potential new brand name, and found the courage to close the old shop before opening 1 week later as the Bloom Bagels we see today. If I wasn’t pushed to the edge of quitting everything, Bloom Bagels never would have happened! “Bloom” doesn’t just symbolize the bagel shape; it also resembles the growth that we all experience when we take risks, fail, and get back up. Oh boy am I still doing that every single day.
Tell us about the product/service you are most proud of.
Honestly everything! Our bagels are all hand rolled and slow proofed for maximum flavor. We make all the fillings in house and are constantly improving the recipes. Our drinks are specialty-level because I believe in serving the whole package. After all, people spend their hard earned money on us. The least we can do is take our drink game seriously by sourcing great espresso/matcha/hojicha, using Straus milk, offering free oat milk sub, and making all of our syrups and creams in house. The drinks I’m most proud of are the banana lattes and pistachio lattes since it took us so long to nail the cream recipes. Lastly, the staff here are so awesome for keeping my vision alive. They work hard with great enthusiasm and focus despite the hectic environment once we open our doors!
What do you tell yourself whenever you encounter a challenge or setback with your business?
I try to remind myself that I’m just human, that what I’m feeling is normal, and I can’t be perfect (no one can). As a perfectionist and people pleaser, this has honestly been a constant battle that really set me back at times. Part of my growth was recognizing what’s in my control and what’s not. Exposure helped a lot– the more I experienced the tough situations, the less daunting it felt and the quicker I moved on. In this line of work, self-love is so important. The last thing I should do is torture myself by thinking about anything outside of my control. Easier said than done of course. I think this is something I will keep having to manage throughout my life, and that’s okay!
What is an aspect of being an entrepreneur that forced you to learn something new?
All my life, I was given a template on how to succeed (ie. go to school, do homework, study to ace the test, etc). Being a product manager in tech for a while definitely taught me to navigate through uncertainty, but nothing will prepare you for entrepreneurship. You’re on your own and every move (or lack thereof) will affect you. There’s zero corporate financial padding to hide behind, and that fact makes it incredibly important to pivot and adapt fast when things aren’t working out. Nothing changes if nothing changes. As much as I want to rely on hope, hope alone doesn’t move the needle. Only action can, of any kind.
What is your favorite way to unwind at the end of the day?
Sleep! Though honestly, I need to learn how to relax. The downside of being a small business owner is that I’m attached to my work 24/7, but I am working on that. One way is to rebuild my social life and network more often! I’ve been practicing how to cook more and challenging myself by cooking for friends (that way, I can’t back out). And while it’s not fun at the moment, I’ve also been pushing myself to at least stretch everyday so that my future-self doesn’t hate me :)
If you could go back in time and tell your past self anything, what would it be?
You’re going to embark on a very random journey into food and beverage with zero experience out of nowhere. Don’t freak out. You’ll fail many, many times, but it will be funny to reminisce afterwards, like how you will accidentally slice your thumb open one day slicing bagels. Every setback will make you stronger and smarter. Surprisingly a lot of people will love your food and drinks even though you have ZERO clue how to cook right now. You might feel lost right now, but don’t worry– you will be surrounded by an amazing team that fully supports your vision. Just remember to not be afraid to pivot when things don’t work out, and to drink water more often, PLEASE.
How has your cultural identity influenced your journey so far, if at all?
Honestly nothing I’m doing is strictly Vietnamese-inspired, which does sadden me. I’m thinking of ways to incorporate more Vietnamese flavors into what we’re doing. It’s just hard because I fear misrepresenting my culture if I do it wrong. There’s more pressure to do the Vietnamese flavors right since I am Vietnamese. I will keep experimenting! If I zoom out though, Vietnamese cuisine is a melting pot of different cuisines due to our history, and this emphasis on diversity definitely translates into our menu. We made our menu unique through inspiration from around the world– in the same way our Viet ancestors made their own unique cuisine using the knowledge they acquired throughout history.
Your business experiments with a variety of fun flavors, including limited edition flavors like Hong Kong French Toast and Pork Floss. Where do you draw inspiration for new flavors?
I grew up eating foods of all kinds, so I honestly just think about flavors that I love. Every time I eat out, I think about the possibility of incorporating it in to the bagels. The biggest challenge though is operationalizing the flavor in bulk. Baking in small quantities is more simple to figure out than baking in large quantities. Questions like “where can I source the ingredients in bulk”, “how do we scale the recipe without affecting current operation”, “will it keep well”, and “how can we bring out the flavor in this form factor” can limit the possibilities. Honestly though, there’s no shortcut. I experiment and test until something hits for everyone on the team! We’ll never sell something that we wouldn’t eat or drink ourselves. Trust me, I made a lot of gross things, but every “failed” experiment was a step closer to something good. I already have some flavors tested and ready for release in the near future (hint: one of my absolute favorite foods growing up was elote)!
You mentioned in an Instagram reel that you went through a series of ups and downs in being a first time bakery owner/entrepreneur. What advice would you give to someone interested in opening a bakery or their own brick and mortar?
Food and beverage is definitely not a get-rich-quick type of investment. Sure, parts of it can be romanticized, but most of this endeavor requires sweat, blood, and tears (with a high risk of not making it). To give some perspective: despite the success, I’m still paying back loans! With that in mind, know your “why” since it will push you through all of the inevitable and endless tough times. Also, remember to take care of your team (yes, you count as your team)! Hire the right people, care for them like family, and guide them in the right direction. The business functions because of the people, so prioritize building those strong foundations if you care about sustaining a healthy lifestyle as a business owner. Ultimately, if your team doesn’t care about the business, you lose your biggest advocates for your business, which will be felt in every area (ie. customer service, product quality, operational efficiency, etc). Lastly, food is incredibly subjective, so don’t take negative reviews personally (or don’t read them altogether). They are helpful if you notice patterns, but they don’t define your worth.
You’re about a year into Bloom Bagels– congratulations! Where do you hope to see Bloom Bagels in this next year of entrepreneurship?
Thank you! I don’t want Bloom Bagels to be just a trendy bagel shop. I envision my business(s) to be an extension of my values: growth, sustainability, kindness, and quality. With those in mind, I want to optimize my current space to produce more bagels and provide more options (like bringing back our Japanese-style stuffed bagels, which we had to stop due to space restrictions), opening a second location without sacrificing quality, implementing more eco-friendly practices, and most importantly, providing our staff with benefits like healthcare insurance and higher wages!
Share another Asian-women-owned small business or entrepreneur that inspires you!
Jina Bakes has been a big inspiration for me. Jina’s attention to detail and high standards makes all of her creations so delicious. There is a good reason why people always line up for her pastries! Her brother, Aaron Kim, curated her amazing drink menu (notably their Einspanner and Honeycomb latte) and I’m so lucky that he helped us with ours too. I wouldn’t have attempted specialty coffee if it wasn’t for his mentorship and attention to detail. I consider them both as my mentors, which I’m grateful for because I don’t have a background in the food industry!
What is the last thing you were curious about?
How can I continuously support my team in ways that holistically make their lives better while making sure it’s feasible as a small business? I don’t have the same power of scale as big chains and corporations to reduce cost, but I think it’s possible.
What can the community help you with?
Keep showing your support for small businesses! Your support not only circulates the local economy, but it also strengthens diversity of cultural identities in markets that are slowly becoming more lifeless and monochromatic. The world will be boring without local businesses bringing in new ideas to the table! Also as a small business owner, I understand the constant juggle between keeping customers, employees, vendors, and ourselves happy. According to the Chamber of Commerce, ~50% of small businesses don’t make it after 5 years. That’s a terrifying statistic given how much it costs to even start a business. If you can, please check out your small shops at least once. If you enjoy it, the best thing you can do is spread the word! (Of course, there will always be bad people who may misrepresent the community, so please do your due diligence first!)
Emily's story highlights the opportunities and challenges that come with entrepreneurship, giving prospective business owners a look into owning a brick and mortar. You can learn more about and visit Bloom Bagels here:
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