Jersey Bagels in Carolina Forest a ‘legitimate’ breakfast experience

Jersey Bagels and Subs owners, Kevin Hopf and Renee Mitchell retired to South Carolina from New Jersey and opened up the first Jersey Bagel location in 2008. In 2010, the store moved to its current location now behind the Carolina Forest shopping center.

After 20 years of working on Wall Street, the pair said they retired to Myrtle Beach and saw there was a lack of good bagel shops.

“We figured with a lot of northerners coming down and no good bagel shops, better give it a shot,” Hopf said.

Hopf said he wanted to open up the location in Carolina Forest because so many people from up north live in and around the area. He said this is why they used the name ‘Jersey Bagels’ so the native New Jersians would know they were legitimate.

Another group Hopf and Mitchell said makes up Jersey Bagels’ clientele is Coastal Carolina students. According to coastal.edu, roughly half of the students are from out of state and the majority of out-of-state students are from the Northeast or New England area.

Mitchell said many of those customers from the north come in search of pork roll and are not disappointed. She said they also serve Boar’s Head Brand meat, which is not sold anywhere else in South Carolina.

“With all the northerners we sell a lot of pork roll, we go through a ton of it and southerners just ask whats that,” Mitchell said.

However, the owners said Jersey Bagels is not just popular for their food, but the welcoming, family-like atmosphere they try to provide.

“Everybody comes in, they all know everybody’s name, it makes you feel like somebody,” Hopf said.

Hopf said that word of mouth is their number one advertiser and repeat customers are where they get a lot of their business. Mitchell said college students also encouraged them to get on different social media platforms to spread the word.

Jersey Bagels offers two different specials every day and is open Tuesday - Friday 7:30-3, Saturday 8-3, and Sunday 8-1 and closed on Mondays. The shop is located at 4006 Postal Way.

This story was originally published June 16, 2022 at 5:00 AM.