By Yasmene Warren
If your wife told you to learn how to make bagels for her, would you? Well, Jeff Perera would, and he did, and that’s how we got Jeff’s Bagel Run! Let’s get into the nitty gritty of how this local bagel chain took greater Orlando by storm.
The History Behind Jeff’s Bagel Run
Jeff’s Bagel Run is a local restaurant chain in the Orlando area with a total of three locations in Ocoee and Orlando, with their newest located in Oviedo on Alafaya Trail.
Jeff Perera in front of Oviedo Jeff's Bagel Run Location
This bagel joint got its start shortly after Jeff got laid off from his job in 2019. His wife, Danielle Perera, had a strong love for bagels and found herself in search of a New York-style bagel here in Central Florida, but she kept coming up short.
One day, she decided to ask her husband Jeff to learn how to make a bagel for her, and like any good husband who wants to keep his wife happy, he did just that! Jeff was not a pro by any means — he didn’t even know how to cook or bake — but that didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to learn.
After a lot of trial and error, Jeff cracked the code to a delicious bagel, and they were a hit with Danielle. The bagels were so good, they started sharing them with others. Amid the lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jeff turned his new hobby into a small business!
People loved Jeff’s bagels so much, he decided to start selling them out of his house. A few dozen orders became 20 dozen orders, and 20 dozen orders soon became 50 dozen, and so on. Jeff was like a bagel superhero, delivering these fresh baked goods door to door to satisfy hungry customers who couldn’t leave their homes due to the lockdown.
Jeff’s bagel popularity only continued to grow, and in June 2021, he secured his first brick and mortar bagel location in Ocoee on Old Winter Garden Road. It’s been a hit ever since! Jeff’s Bagel Run bought their second location in College Park on Edgewater Drive, and the Oviedo location opened less than two weeks ago!
Image by Jeff's Bagel Run
Three more locations around town are slated to open in March of this year: Winter Park on Orange Avenue; O-Town West on Daryl Carter Parkway; and Celebration on Future Way. This summer we’re also getting two more locations in Clermont and in Orlando on Conroy and Kirkman roads — considering this is my neck of the woods, I couldn’t be more thrilled!
You can dine daily at any of these three Jeff’s Bagel Runs from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Bagels & More
Believe it or not, Jeff’s Bagel Run isn’t totally all about bagels! Well, it is, but it’s got a lot more to offer as well.
You can expect many of the classic bagel flavors at Jeff’s Bagel Run, such as plain, asiago, cinnamon raisin, everything, sesame, and blueberry. There are also fun flavors like cacio e pepe, rosemary salt, and poppy!
Image by Jeff's Bagel Run
What really sets Jeff’s Bagel Run apart from other bagel shops is its daily bagel rotation. Every day, this franchise advertises an exclusive bagel flavor not available on the regular menu. If you want in on what’s on the menu for the day, you can keep up with their website, or download the Jeff’s Bagel Run mobile app.
Image by Jeff's Bagel Run
All of these bagels are baked first thing in the morning on a daily basis, so you can expect only the freshest of flavors when you’re on the hunt for something fresh to start your day.
We tried the everything bagel with garlic and chive cream cheese, and it was the perfect mix of salty and savory.
Savor cream cheese flavors galore from chive and onion or roasted jalapeño, to brown sugar cinnamon and banana pudding. These cream cheeses are also made fresh on a daily basis, which really adds to the authenticity Jeff was aiming for!
Like any good breakfast joint, Jeff’s Bagel Run serves a variety of coffees and cold brews, lemonade, kombucha, hot chocolate, tea, and an assortment of bottled juices as well.
Menu by Jeff's Bagel Run
The Dining Experience
Dining at Jeff’s Bagel Run brings about a certain charm you can’t find at just any bagel shop. It’s wholesome, hearty, and extremely welcoming.
Employees greet you as soon as you walk in, and you’re immersed in a bustling and vibrant yet classy and authentic environment.
Jeff says he drew inspiration from local New York bagel shops when it came down to designing a space of his own. He wanted something that not only breathed new life into hungry Orlando patrons, but also evoked a sense of nostalgia for those fiending for bagel finds that remind them of home.
Each Jeff’s Bagel Run does exactly that, and whether you’re reminded of home or you’re overcome with the excitement of something new, you’re sure to relish your dining experience here.
Overall
Good bagels are hard to come by, but thanks to people like Jeff and Danielle Perera who know the value of a good bagel, they don’t have to be. Taste the magic of what blossomed from a hungry wife’s cravings into a thriving small business and see why it’s only up from here for Jeff’s Bagel Run.
Oviedo
We visited the Oviedo location, and this area has a lot to offer!
The city of Oviedo is located in Seminole County just east of Orlando. It’s in close proximity to Orlando’s hometown university, the University of Central Florida, as well as other surrounding cities like Winter Park.
Oviedo has a healthy mix of college town vibes and quiet suburbia as it offers city living without big city vibes. For shoppers, it’s home to the Oviedo Mall and is minutes from Waterford Lakes Town Center. In this city, you’ll find some of the best neighborhoods to live in in all of Central Florida.
Locals enjoy perusing places like The Cloak & Blaster, The Muddy Root, and Ramen Takagi. If amenities like these sound like something you’d like, let our team help you find your new home in Oviedo!
The Orlando Real is sponsored by The Pozek Group. If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Orlando, reach out and we would love to help!
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