Living Local: Florida couple opens bagel business in Macon. What’s on the menu?
(Editor’s Note: This is the first of a regular series featuring a look inside local businesses — the things they make, services they provide & their impact on the community.)
Florida native Lauren Bone always baked as a hobby, but once the pandemic hit in 2020, she began to bake professionally.
In early 2022, Bone along with her partner, Patrick Rademaker, took a trip to Macon and fell in love with the area. So much so, they moved to the city. In August 2022, the couple opened Macon Bagels.
Bone said during her visit to Macon she realized she couldn’t find a place to get a fresh bagel and a light went off in her head.
“We were just beginning to have an idea of opening a bagel shop when we visited Macon and saw there was no place to get fresh bagels,” she said. “After meeting more people here and learning more about Macon, we decided to move from Florida to open the business.”
Macon Bagels isn’t your average bagel shop.
Bone said everything is made from scratch, and she takes pride in the niche she has been able to provide in the community.
“We are an owner-operator business with a very small, dedicated staff. All of our menu items are made by hand, from scratch,” she said. “We take a lot of pride in the core of regulars we have built, and want every customer to feel welcomed as a friend.”
Menu items include hand-rolled bagels, bagel sandwiches, scratch-made rotating breakfast pastries and coffee.
Bone said the shop has become a local hangout and the support from other small business owners has been wonderful.
“We aim to be a downtown hangout where people are always running into friends and just having fun, spontaneous interactions at the shop,” she said. “It’s great when we can be a place where people can escape from work for a few moments during the week, or kick off their weekend with breakfast.”
“We also appreciate having a network of other small business owners that make us feel supported,” Bone said.
Bone is passionate about being a one-of-a-kind local business.
“I love the opportunity to be creative and offer something you can’t get anywhere else,” she said. “We push ourselves to come up with a unique special every weekend, so there is always something new to try.”
In addition to making scrumptious bagels, the business also does its part to give back to the community.
In 2023, Macon Bagels participated in fundraisers and community events such as Bike Walk Macon, Macon Habitat for Humanity, and Macon PRIDE. The business also donates leftover bagels to the Macon Community Fridge.
Bone said she is glad she made the move and will continue to do her part to see Macon thrive.
“As people who own a business and live in Macon, we want to do whatever we can to help and increase visibility for people who are helping make Macon a better place to live,” she said.
Macon Bagels is located at 470 3rd Street. Hours of operation are Wednesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information, go here.
