Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Hilbert.
Hi Dan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Dan’s Bagels was born out of the circumstances presented during the COVID pandemic. I worked for an event marketing firm and when the pandemic hit, live events came to a screeching halt. When work was reduced to a 2-day schedule, I used the time and started making sourdough bagels. Why? Well, when my family and I lived in CT, I worked in New York City for over 18 years – taking the Metro-North train to Grand Central then the Shuttle to Times Square. That NYC experience gave birth to my love of bagels. My family loved and missed them as well. So, I started making bagels out of my home – not very good at first but after hours and hours of taste tests, boiling and baking, tweaking recipes, and some bagel training in Fair Lawn, NJ, I along with my wife Jen started a cottage business, Dan’s Bagels. We began to sell bagels out of our home.
The local community was so supportive – giving us a chance and the room to grow and build. It was evident that we had something special when we were selling out our monthly online orders within minutes. Nothing along this journey said “STOP!”, so we kept going, quit our corporate jobs, and opened our first shop in Trophy Club on August 3, 2021. We’re grateful that the shop has been well supported and adopted by our community – as well as the surrounding areas. It’s hard work – and I can remember many times when Jen and I thought we made a mistake – and that I should have stayed in my corporate job and she in real estate.
But we’re a good team and our family belief is to “finish the job” – to shore up the grit to persevere while staying true to the values of kindness and gratitude. It feels and looks like it’s paying off.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Overall, we’ve become very successful with amazing support across the DFW area. Times that were less smooth were (1) during the building of the shop – construction delays, equipment shipping delays, and inventory shortages (2) lately, it’s been all about inflation and staffing shortages (3) the job is very physical – if there is anything that we did not expect the most was how physically demanding the job is – we move large equipment, go through 600 lbs of cream cheese in a week and over 2 tons of flour every month.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Jen and I are committed to making an impact on the local community, especially its schools. From a broader perspective, we are committed to causes that are personal for us – Breast Cancer Awareness and Mental Health Awareness.
We have made it our commitment to give back to the community that supports us so willingly. From our school’s sports teams to town-led charity efforts, teacher appreciation to local businesses, Jen and I are committed to giving back to the friends, customers, and neighbors that help us make our shop come to life.
We hire many local students as our staff. For most, Dan’s Bagels is their first job ever – and we love training them and creating a fun but hard-working environment. This young staff is so amazing – Jen and I are in awe every day. They have grit and take accountability seriously. It’s equally as nice to see friendships being born at the shop as well.
Pricing:
- 1/2 dozen bagels $11
- one dozen bagels $20
- bagel with cream cheese $4.25
- bagel & lox sandwich $14.25
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dansbagels.com
- Instagram: @dansbagels
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/dansbagels
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dan-s-bagels-trophy-club
- Other: https://www.toasttab.com/dansbagels/v3
