commissary INSIDER - October 2016 - 4

Insight Insider graduating from Columbia University, only delving into the bagel world after Nick's midnight revelation, and doing so relatively blindly. But that lack of food production knowledge, Nick says, ended up being a huge key in the success of the final product. "We didn't know it at the time, but not really having any background in baking or the culinary world was an advantage," Nick says. "Coming at creating this product from a very simple, broken-down, almost bare-bones approach allowed us to create a product that, at its core, is simple, authentic and unique. It's a real New York bagel." The company has maintained the attitude of learning throughout its boom, remaining very cognizant of what it 4 * OCTOBER 2016 * knows and even more cognizant of what it doesn't, Nick says. "Any great entrepreneur and anyone trying to be successful and go out on their own has to be very aware of that, and know that they need to ask for help," he says. "You want to say 'yes' to every single thing you're asked and accept every offer and take every deal. But it's often better to be more selective. Every single day we're learning something new, and I think we've been able to surround ourselves with a network of people and mentors that have helped us every step of the way." 'A real partnership' While Bantam is actively moving into supermarkets and drug stores and has aspirations to increase their offerings commissary INSIDER in retail foodservice, it is evident that their partnership with Starbucks is paramount. Not only has the massive corporation provided support in bringing Bantam Bagels to consumers across the nation, the Olesaks say they have received invaluable guidance over the last year. "For us, it has become a real partnership," Nick says. "Starbucks has been a very valuable partner in helping us grow the business. They've obviously delivered to us tremendous growth in terms of point-of-sale, but they've also been our mentors along the way and helped us grow and position ourselves to be the big business we want to be." Because it found such a solid partnership, the company has been able to succeed http://www.novacartusa.com

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