Kismet Bagels was founded by accident. In the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacob and Alexandra Cohen’s jobs in sales and entertainment were put on hold, and the couple weren’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 some themselves. The first batch came out of the oven perfect: crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle.

After dropping batches of bagels in their family's mailboxes, Alexandra felt inspired to spread the love even further: to use their new hobby to raise funds for local charities. They began selling bagels to their neighbors and donating the proceeds to Project Home, a local organization helping people experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia.

Five years later, bagels are their whole lives. With four shops (Fishtown, Rittenhouse Square, Reading Terminal Market, and Lower Merion), a full catering program, and national shipping on Goldbelly, Kismet Bagels is only just beginning. The two met as kids, have been married for six years and now run this business as a family. As the name says, it was meant to be!