Spotlight in the 17th: Kismet Bagels

Senator Cappelletti recently visited Kismet Bagels Luncheonette. Opened by Lower Merion’s own Jacob and Alexandra Cohen, this is their first sit down location and has quickly become a community staple.

In the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacob and Alexandra Cohen’s jobs in sales and entertainment were put on hold. The couple wasn’t sure what to do with their suddenly empty schedules. To pass the time and find a sense of comfort amidst uncertainty, they began baking bread each morning. Soon they had their first craving for bagels and decided to try their hands at making them themselves. The first batch came out of the oven perfectly:  crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. After making some batches and dropping them off in family mailboxes (pandemic times), Alexandra had the urge to use their new passion to raise funds for local charities. They began selling bagels to their neighbors and donating the proceeds to Project Home, a local organization helping the unhoused in Philadelphia. 

Four years later, they now have FOUR bagel shops, host dozens of bagel classes a year, attend over 8 markets a week. Making bagels is now their full-time gig. The two met as kids, have been married for 5 years, and run this business as a family. As the name says, it was meant to be! 

Learn more about the Kismet Bagels: kismetbagels.com
Follow them on social media.