Baking is a popular hobby at Galileo, with a dedicated baking club and many active members who meet every Monday. However, one member has found a way to turn his skills into a commercial success. Senior Georges B. baking skills have become an increasingly important part of Galileo’s food scene, with his bagel business seeing a recent explosion in popularity.
After finding a winning recipe for bagels a couple months ago, Georges soon began experimenting with selling his baked goods to Galileo friends and family. After an initial success, Georges launched an Instagram page where anyone can contact him to have bagels delivered.
What started as a hobby of baking bagels for family and friends at Galileo has expanded into a local business, where Georges delivers to the Gal community and local residents alike. On weekends, Georges spends his time baking and fulfilling orders, delivering them all exclusively in the North Beach/Russian Hill area.
On weekends, Georges spends his Saturday mornings making and shaping the dough, while Sundays are spent boiling and baking the bagels in his home kitchen. By Sunday morning, the freshly baked bagels are at his customers’ doorsteps.
With his recent success, Georges’ next plan is to build a mobile bagel cart with the help of his friend Shepard Petersen. Once completed, the duo hope to be able to fulfill more orders on the spot, rather than customers having to wait until delivery on Sunday.
George says he sees a future in his business, and would like to keep it going for as long as possible. “There’s definitely opportunity to grow, but right now I’m a little busy,” he explains. “I’m hoping to find a job, but I actually want to continue even if I have a job. I enjoy doing it.”
As a kid, Georges found his passion for baking through his parents. His mom used to work at a bakery, while his dad owns and operates a sandwich shop. What started for Georges as a fun activity with his parents eventually evolved into a prospective career for his future.
After graduating, Georges hopes to find a job at a local bakery, and eventually consider going to culinary school. For now though, he’s focused on expanding his bagel business and finding local baking internships. Just last week, Georges did a one day internship at Jane the Bakery, a popular SF bakery in the Pacific Heights. In the culinary world, short internships like these are called stagés, which George hopes to do more of in the near future.
“I got there at 5 AM, so I had to wake up really early,” said Georges as he described his experience staging for Jane. “We made brioche, pretzels, and sourdough. I got to see the ovens, see how it worked in the back, and see if I really want to do it. I liked it a lot.”
If you want a Sunday delivery from Georges’ bagel company, you can DM him on Instagram anytime at @Georges_Bay_Gulls. His homemade bagels are for sale in poppy seed, sesame, and plain flavors, with prices ranging from $3.50 per bagel to $2.50 per bagel depending on quantity ordered.
