NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Crieve Hall Bagel Co. is taking steps to open its second location this year in Inglewood.
Ben Cornfield's bagel business was born out of his love for sourdough. During the pandemic, we met Ben when he lost his job. To make ends meet, he made bagels at home that he sold to his neighbors.
Meet Ben in the player above.
"By 7 a.m., you’re done and going out to the car and driving around, and by 9 a.m. you’re home and taking a nap. By 10 a.m., you’re up and parenting, and it’s crazy," Cornfield said.
Now, fast forward four years later his kitchen is a lot bigger. He now has a brick-and-mortar he's named Crieve Hall Bagel Co.
“It’s more than I could ever imagine truly,” Cornfield said.
Four years ago this month, the world was shutting down, people were losing jobs, and COVID began sweeping the country. People weren’t supposed to gather in groups bigger than 10 at one point in Tennessee, so Crieve Hall Bagel Co. did to-go bagels through a window.
Ketley Rarick and her family have been loyal customers since the beginning.
"The kind of soft chewy bread and then like the crunch on the outside, there’s no bagel that I have ever tasted that has the type of flavor and texture that Ben has created here," Rarick said.
And now something new is on the horizon.
“Grasping as hard as I can at something very scary is the appropriate way to sort of describe what’s going on,” Cornfield said.
Ben's working to open their second bagel shop.
"Very nervous every single day," Cornfield said.
Their family used to live in Inglewood, so it only makes sense to open it there.
"You start thinking — if you don’t do this, someone else is going to," Cornfield said.
Their goal is to be open in the fall at the second location. It will be located on Gallatin Avenue by the new M.L. Rose in Inglewood.
It's truly the small things that add up to a great day - and Warrick in Lebanon is having a big impact. His familiar face is becoming a staple in one part of the community and inspiring closer connection in the simplest way. Enjoy his warm personality! You may even feel inclined to wave to a stranger today, too.
-Rebecca Schleicher
