The business began when owner Scott was laid off due to U.S. tariff impacts affecting his industry. While searching for new opportunities, Scott noticed that high-quality bagels, particularly fresh bagels, were difficult to find in Hamilton. He began baking handcrafted bagels at home and sharing them with friends and local community members. The overwhelmingly positive feedback inspired the launch of HARC Bagels as a business.
HARC Bagels initially started by supplying Hamilton bagels to a small number of local businesses before expanding into farmers’ markets, beginning with the Ottawa Street Farmers’ Market. Since then, the business has participated in several markets across the Hamilton region and has even reached Burlington with its delicious offerings, all while expanding its product line and flavour selection.