These bagel boxes made near Toronto by a 27-year-old have been selling out in seconds
A 27-year-old has been making bagel boxes that have been selling out in just seconds for the breakfast lovers of Toronto.
Victoria Larocca is a full-time third year PhD student at York University in the field of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, and started That Bagel Betch just a few months ago out of her house in central Mississauga. She's already selling out of bagels in under a minute.
"I started this hobby in December 2020 over my Christmas break. I was craving bagels and went to the store to grab some bread flour and yeast. I posted the bagels on my personal Instagram and people started asking me if I was offering them. I decided to start That Bagel Betch to share my love for food and creating with others," Larocca told blogTO.
"It's been just over two months and I am overwhelmed with joy when people message me about how much they enjoyed my bagels and spreads."
Her bagel boxes pair varieties of her bagels with different spreads, and she posts the details of what's in the boxes each month. You could end up with sea salt, everything, chocolate chip, honey cinnamon or za'atar bagels, along with homemade spreads like hot honey butter, strawberry cream cheese and blueberry chia jam.
"All my bagels are made by hand, in small batches. From rolling the dough, shaping, boiling, topping, and baking everything is made with my own two hands. Mostly people are going nuts for my jalapeno cheddar bagels. I also make my own spreads by amping up butter and cream cheese," says Larocca.
"Some favourites so far are my jalapeno cheddar butter and my everything seasoning cream cheese. I pack each and every box myself, it gives me a great sense of pride that I can create something so delicious."
Delicious indeed: though Larocca only bakes two to three times a month on weekends only and produces about 170 to 200 bagels each weekend that she decides to bake, she's sold out almost instantly with every order link she's put up.
"Since the beginning, I have been selling out within minutes. Originally, I used to take orders via DM but that became really overwhelming so I decided to set up an order link which has been really well-received. I usually post orders two or three times a month and sell out under a minute," says Larocca.
"People are really excited when they get to snag a box of bagels and I have had people compare it to trying to get concert tickets."
Like a good concert, the love That Bagel Betch receives comes in the form of an outpouring of social media posts, a carousel of bagel shots that populate the project's Instagram story.
"I never anticipated the immense amount support I have been getting about my bagels. People are so kind when giving feedback about my bagels. I have to say it is overwhelmingly positive. I think the most rewarding this about this entire endeavour is being able to make people's day," says Larocca.
"Being able to give them something tasty and having their kids, friends and family be really excited about what I get to create is what makes me the most happy."
With the way Larocca's bagels are taking off, she wants to remind her customers that while she loves to connect with them through baking her ultimate commitment is still to her degree.
"By no means is this bagel thing my full time gig. It's a hobby that I enjoy doing and being creative in the kitchen is one of my favourite past times. For me to be able to share my kitchen creations with others within the community has been extremely rewarding, especially during a time where social interaction has been so limited," says Larocca.
"That Bagel Betch allowed me to stay connected to friends and meet new people who have become friends, all through a common love of food."
She posts information about when her next drop is coming up on Instagram, and when it's ready she'll pop an order link in her bio. If bagels are still available, from there you'll be able to select a time slot, enter contact info and then be taken to a page with payment and pickup info.
"It really is crazy what social media can do. I really enjoy interacting with people on social media," says Larocca. "It must be the lonely PhD student in me longing for someone to talk to, but I have found so much gratification in meeting new people."
That Bagel Betch
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