Located at 5275 University Pkwy., Unit 103, in Bradenton, Jersey Girl Bagels is part of the generation of food and beverage concepts born as hobbies during the difficult pandemic years. Begun in a home kitchen before launching in Bradenton, the bagel concept is already preparing to expand to its second brick-and-mortar bagel shop, this time opening in Parrish’s Creekside Commons retail center.
“My family and I had moved to Florida just a few years back,” owner Kim Fishman told What Now on Monday. “We started baking a lot at home, and bagels were one thing we had always missed from New Jersey. And as we started perfecting our recipe and giving bagels to friends and family and neighbors, people started to ask—are you going to do this as a business?”
The answer was yes. But as bagels are a product that requires a lot of both time and space, Jersey Girl Bagels quickly outgrew the Fishman kitchen, leading first to the Bradenton brick-and-mortar and, now, to the larger upcoming bagel shop in Parrish. Fishman says the brand’s most popular bagel has been the Everything—and the good news is you’ll be able to get those bagels freshly made both in Bradenton and in Parrish: the 24-hour production process will take place every day at both locations.
“We make all the dough on-site, every flavor, every day,” Fishman told What Now. “So that if you come in the morning, you can get a hot bagel—which, for me, there’s just nothing better than that.”
Jersey Girl makes its own cream cheese, which also comes in a Lox variety, and the bagel shop’s menu features not only bagels but sandwiches like the Bacon, Egg & Cheese and the Turkey, Bacon, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato & Mayo. It’s expected to open in Parrish in the Spring/Summer 2025.
You can keep up with Jersey Girl Bagels news by following @jerseygirlbagelshop on Instagram.
