Broadway Bagels Featured At Enterprise Ireland's High Potential Start-Ups

Dungarvan Observer

Broadway Bagels, established by husband and wife team Des and Rosie Sheehan, produce authentic American style bagels. They returned to Ireland from the US three years ago and established a restaurant in Dungarvan. The business was moderately successful but they found that their American style products sold very well. They decided to close the restaurant and concentrate on producing bagels.

Bagels, while part of the bread family, are produced in a very different format. Authentic bagels are made of yeasted wheat dough which is boiled in water, or steamed, before it is baked. All the bagels currently available in the retail trade are produced in bakeries using a bread baking process, which does not deliver the dense, chewy, doughy interior which is characteristic of good bagels. They contain preservatives which allow them to be sold on the ambient shelves.

Broadway sells its product frozen, in multiple packs of four or six bagels. The bagels do not contain preservatives and this distinguishing message is clearly spelled out on the pack.

Main customers include Tesco Ireland, Superquin, Musgrave SVC, Dunnes Stores and a number of catering companies.

Very recently the company expanded both its range of bagels and into allied products ­ American brownies.

The business plan for the next two years is primarily aimed at establishing the company's position in the Irish market and developing a small sales base in Northern Ireland and Britain.

Photo Caption: Dungarvan Company 'Broadway Bagels' as featured at Enterprise Ireland's High Potential Start-Ups 'Class of 2006' showcase in Dublin recently. (l-r) are Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin, T.D. and Rosie Sheehan, Broadway Bagels.