Janet Blake, the founder and owner of Comfort Bagels (with scissors) cut the ribbon to open her new business at 64 Main St., on Nov. 21. Everyone is smiling because she made the cut a few seconds before everyone was really ready, which clearly surprised Mayor Michael McCabe. Blake is joined by her husband Bill (to her left), and on her right is Amanda Waterfield, the executive director the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, Rocky’s Ace Hardware President Rocco Falcone (left with ribbon) and Ward 3 City Councilor Bridget Matthews-Kane (on right with ribbon).
Reminder Publishing photo by Cliff Clark
WESTFIELD — The city’s newest business, Comfort Bagels, began in the kitchen of its Founder/owner Janet Blake during the coronavirus pandemic, when she, like millions of others, started baking bread to fill those empty days during the pandemic lockdown.
“I started it out of my house in West Springfield during COVID,” Blake said in front of a group of friends, family, local officials and business associates during a ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally open her bagel shop at 64 Main St. on Thursday.
Blake said that during the early days of the pandemic she began experimenting with sourdough breads and bagel recipes, and after perfecting her dough-making and baking skills, she wanted to find out if people were looking for a place where they could buy freshly made bagels.
After posting that question on a social media site, the response was overwhelming.
“By the end of the day, we had 900 yeses,” Blake said.
Outgrowing her kitchen, she began looking for a place to open a shop.
She looked initially in Westfield, “but it didn’t work out.”
She then found space at a renovated mill in Holyoke that Blake called “wonderful,” and operated from there for three and a half years before also outgrowing that kitchen.
It was then that she took a second look at Westfield, and with the help of real estate agent John Benoit, with Vantage Point Retail, who connected her with Rocco Falcone, the president of Rocky’s Ace Hardware, who owns the property, and assistance from the city, she decided to close the Holyoke location and open in the city.
“He’s a wonderful advocate for small business,” Blake said of Falcone.
“I can’t thank you enough for believing in us,” she said.
Falcone, who attended the ceremony, said he was “excited” to have the new business, which is next door to his hardware store.
But she also recognized the many others, including architect Curtis Edgin, general contractor Saloomey Construction, Inc., and Peter Miller, the city’s director of Community Development and Planning, who guided Blake’s participation in the state’s Vacant Storefronts Program.
“But there are so many people that made this business happen. We couldn’t have done it without everybody’s help,” Blake said.
But enough about the business, what about the bagels.
They are handmade on site using slow-fermented dough and a sumptuous palate of custom-made flavors including honey whole wheat, salted rosemary, onion, poppyseed, asiago parmesan, sesame, garlic and crunchy French toast — and that’s not all Comfort Bagels offers.
It makes bagel sandwiches that cover the gamut of traditional sandwich ingredients, like bacon, turkey, roast beef, and salmon and all the fixings, including custom-made spreads.
And the menu never gets stale, changing weekly.
Mayor Michael McCabe welcomed Blake to the city, as did state Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield) and state Rep. Kelly Pease (R-Westfield).
Executive Director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce’s Amanda Waterfield also welcomed Blake to the city.
“The arrival of Comfort Bagels in our downtown corridor is an exciting addition,” she said. “I see Comfort Bagel as a destination for people who are looking for a great place to start their day. From breakfast meetings to family outings, Comfort Bagel gives everyone another great reason to come to Downtown Westfield.”
Comfort Bagel is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Off-street parking is available.
