LEWISVILLE, TX — When Oren Salomon, founder of Starship Bagel in Lewisville, TX, made his first batch of bagels at home in 2017, he never could’ve imagined becoming the founder of a BagelFest-winning and James Beard Award-nominated bakery.
Behind the bagel brand
The project manager-turned-bagel shop owner did not intentionally enter the baking industry. But a spark of nostalgia for the bagels he grew up with when he’d visit family in New York and inspiration from Montreal-style bagels when he visited the city inspired him to learn how to make them. After sharing the finished product with friends, Oren found an opportunity to take bagel-making to the next level.
“It’s like the bagel chose me,” he said. “It wasn’t just the demand; it made their day to have those bagels, and they wanted it again. That connection was really powerful, and it’s still my primary motivating force.”
Business expanded beyond his kitchen, and he upgraded operations to a local church kitchen, which worked until he outgrew the space. With no experience or insight into how to open a bakery, Oren stepped back from bagel making, turning to the commercial real estate business for a year and a half.
“Everything was going fine, but I really missed making bagels for people,” he said.
An introduction from his brother to Emily Winston, founder and CEO of Boichik Bagels, changed his trajectory. As an apprentice at the Berkeley, CA, bagel shop in 2019, Oren got a masterclass in high-volume bagel production.
“That’s where I learned everything that I know about the tools that we have here,” he said. “If I didn’t have that invitation, I wouldn’t have these advanced skills or know about proper fermentation. I needed that experience to learn and grow, especially because I had no background in foodservice and needed to see how a bagel shop operates.”
During his two months at Boichik, he got an inside look at bagel making and tackling day-to-day operational challenges. This background helped get the flagship Starship Bagel location off the ground in 2021.
Honoring tradition
Today, Starship Bagel boasts three brick-and-mortar locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, all paying homage to the traditional boiled-and-baked offering.
“The bagels that we serve are based on how bagels would’ve been in New York around the time when it was getting introduced into the mainstream,” he said, noting that Starship’s bagels are designed to be paired with schmears rather than serve as part of a bacon, egg and cheese. “The bagel to me is all about that crunchy first bite on the outside and the chewy warm interiors. Different flavors accentuate that.”
Simple in structure but intentional in formulation, Starship’s bagels are carefully crafted through a two-day fermentation period. Oren shared that the game-changing ingredient in the bagels’ formulation lies in the Sir Lancelot Hi-Gluten Flour from The King Arthur Baking Co.
“I tried so many high-gluten flours and Sir Lancelot is the most flavorful and reliable and produces the perfect chew every time,” he said. “I can’t sing its praises enough.”
The instrumental mentorship with Emily also inspired Oren’s interest in supporting other new bakers, whether its guidance or access to ingredients or tools.
As Starship Bagels enters the retail stratosphere — the brand is working on implementing nationwide shipping for its bagels — the shop intends to offer quality to its customers in the Lone Star State.
“We want to be available to other places, but it’s really about maintaining the quality of the product and connection with the customers,” Oren said. “I want to focus on serving the customers who already know about and visit us. We’re trying to do the best job, not the biggest job.”
The James Beard recognition is not something Oren ever anticipated when he made his first batch of bagels. However, being able to represent the bagel category is bigger than Starship.
“I never thought we’d be in this position as the first bagel shop ever [nominated], and I’m extremely grateful that James Beard has chosen to recognize that,” he said. “I accept this nomination on behalf of my mentors; I’m only here because I stand on the shoulders of giants.”
