From Gym Owner to Baker, Ridgewood Entrepreneur Dives into 'Bagel Culture'

The change in careers that led Ridgewood’s Jeff Jayson, formerly the owner of World Gym in Paramus, to open a new bagel shop in Glen Rock isn’t as unexpected as it may seem.

Jayson sold the Paramus gym in August 2012 in response to changes in the industry, and cast about for a new entrepreneurial endeavor. Having operated a small café at the fitness center, he had an interest in food service and scoped out franchises possibilities.

“I decided that because of my background and knowledge of business, I didn’t need a system and could create my own brand,” he said.

Bagel Culture, which opened on Prospect Street (in the strip also home to Jalapeno’s) last week, is just that. Its name inspired by an article he read on the history of bagel-making, the store strives to return to the traditions of the craft, its proprietor said in an interview with Patch.

The shop’s offerings are all hand-rolled, made with unbleached, natural flour, Jayson said, and served with coffee from a local craft roaster that one might expect to find at an independent, high-end coffee shop.

Jayson, a Ridgewood resident for 13 years, spent nearly 15 years operating the gym.

And while the career change represented no small jump from the fitness industry, Jayson said, his experience serving up light foods at the gym helped. The business owner also supplemented that knowledge with a four-month apprenticeship at Goldberg’s 'Famous' Bagels, the noted New York chain.

The five-employee operation sits at the former location of a Jubilate frozen yogurt, and hopes to cash in on a spot along a commuter thoroughfare heading toward Rt. 17. The shop’s hours are seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.