Watch out New York, because Nate Matthews, owner and baker of Nate’s Bagels, is introducing Richmond bagels that cater to all of your breakfast necessities.
Watch out New York, because Nate Matthews, owner and baker of Nate’s Bagels, is introducing Richmond bagels that cater to all of your breakfast necessities.
After his job parting ways with a full time civil engineering gig in December of 2015, Matthews decided it was time to fill a hole in Richmond with his online bagel and subscription service company. With the STEM background, the jump to baking may seem unorthodox, but Matthews integrated the two worlds, making for a positive experience.
“A lot of it is serving a lot of people,” he said. “Getting up everyday knowing there’s people to make happy and please. Plus, I love doing something with my hands that takes a lot of precision with an engineering mind.”
Matthews launched his online bagel business in May where bagel lovers can order online and pick them up at several locations in Richmond. Nate’s Bagels also has a “Bagel Club” where people can subscribe to receive a monthly supply of the circular treats.
Nate’s Bagels sells plain, sesame, salt and everything bagels, and four flavors of cream cheese including blueberry, scallion, olive and plain as well as bagel sandwiches. Bagels are $2 a pop, or extreme bagel lovers can receive three, six or 12 bagels a month for $24-$72.
The success of the subscription service led Matthews to start catering to local businesses and setting up pop up shops at several locations around town including Blanchard’s Coffee, Outpost Richmond, Union Market, Birdhouse Farmers Market, and JM Stock Provisions.
“The bagel club and pop ups are a good way to understand what people like and want in a bagel,” Matthews said.
From December to May, Matthews spent his time researching and perfecting his recipe. Now he’s using his resources to determine what makes a “Richmond bagel” before making the leap to open his own store.
The cost of rent is the biggest hurdle he’s faced so far, however, he said his bagels are in enough demand that the next step isn’t far off.
“What people really want and what would work best is a store of my own and I’m definitely looking hard for places,” he said. “But pop locations work for the time being, I want to spend this much time just getting the product right” said Matthews.
Matthews set up his shop in a commercial kitchen, sharing his space with mainly food truck vendors and other bakers. He’s working 60 to 80 hour weeks rolling his bagels, allowing them to slowly rise and develop flavor.
“I started with a really rough recipe,” he said. “Water, sugar, malt, yeast, and flour. “A lot of people don’t use malt, but I played with it and found I really liked it. And the yeast really likes working with malt.”
And he’s since perfected his recipe, but that wasn’t always the case for the bagel baker.
“At first I just made awful bagels,” he said. “And I was really excited about them I was like ‘Oh everyone is going to love these. I think I did it. I think I’m ready.’”
Luckily Matthews had honest friends, who were his only bagel club members at the time, to help guide him through the process of what people wanted out of a bagel.
In October, Matthews will introduce more flavors to his bagel club members. Among the new options is a collab with Blanchard’s Coffee Shop to create a “Blanchard’s coffee cold brew bagel.”
“It’s got a different texture, almost brioche like,” he said of the bagel which walks the line with pastry as it’s made with cold brew coffee and sweet condensed milk and topped with granola and berries. “It’s definitely a friendly wake-up experience.”
Nate’s Bagels will release their new bagel at Perk! Coffee & Lunchbox in Bon Air this Sun., Sept. 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Now with two employees of his own, Matthews plans on expanding not only his locations but his collection of bagel flavors. You can stay updated on Nate’s Bagel’s pick up and pop up locations here. You can subscribe to the Bagel Club here.
