Tandem Bagel Co. bucks current business climate, opens 6th location in Ludlow
LUDLOW — Tariffs. Inflation. Economic uncertainty. Entrepreneurs Chris and Andrea Zawacki have found a way to buck the business trends: with fresh bagels, of course.
Named for the partnership with each other and their host communities, Tandem Bagel Co. cafe opened May 23 in Ludlow, a sixth location in the Zawackis' growing chain of shops across Hampshire and Hampden counties.
Built around 1870, the newly renovated mill complex along the Chicopee River was the backbone of the local economy, processing yams, twine and webbing through World War I, said Chris Zawacki.
'You can see the original trusses and brick walls. There are pulleys and shafts that generated electricity. You can see right to the ceiling, with all the motors and gears exposed. It's neat to see the history there,' said Zawacki.
The look and feel of the new shop are key, as ambiance is as important as aroma in keeping cafes from grinding to a halt, industry experts say.
Tandem pitches itself to the morning breakfast crowd as a quick or leisurely stop for coffee, espresso and bagel sandwiches — and to the lunch crowd, with turkey, chicken, roast beef, BLT and other offerings on bagels.
'We have a good product. It's an easy product. Coffee and a bagel; it's not pretentious,' said Andrea Zawacki. 'We have a lot of regulars who come every day.'
The Pew Research Center says 10% of small enterprises were owned by couples in 2021, making the Zawackis the minority in the business world. They also are accomplishing something many small operations fail to achieve: longevity and growth.
The Easthampton couple opened their first cafe in 2013, occupying a renovated train depot in Easthampton. Since then, they have opened more shops in Northampton, Hadley, Florence, West Springfield and now Ludlow.
Tandem Bagel Co. continued operating during the pandemic, with the exception of a few weeks. The business saw explosive growth of 30% to 40% coming out of COVID and sustained 5% year-over-year revenue increases more recently, said Chris Zawacki.
'We try to be very focused on customer service and treat our employees well,' he said. 'If you get good employees that are happy doing their jobs, they're going to help you grow the business. They make you succeed.'
Having a hard time finding good employees is a top reason coffee shops crash, according to Walden University.
Tandem now has 130 employees in Hampshire and Hampden counties. About half of them are full time with benefits, including health insurance, retirement programs and vacations. Zawacki said the business is 'always hiring.'
The couple has spent the last two years planning and opening the Ludlow location. They have navigated two presidential administrations with polar opposite policies, rising and falling inflation, economic uncertainty sparked by on and off tariffs, and erratic consumer confidence.
Zawacki said he agrees with other small business owners who said if they can endure COVID-19, they can survive whatever might come.
'COVID was a wake-up call to be ready for anything,' he said.
The Zawackis say they raise their prices once year and hold steady after that, even absorbing the rising cost of ingredients, including eggs.
'We're not a high-end restaurant, so consumer spending isn't going to hit us as much. We're a breakfast and lunch place. We're not an expensive go-out-to-dinner-once-a-week place. We get a lot of people coming multiple times a week,' he said.
By definition, the couple buys locally, because most of their ingredients, such as meat and dairy, must be fresh. But supporting the local economy and charities is also part of their mission.
'We're a local business, and it goes both ways. The more our customers support us, the more we try to give back to our suppliers and the community — to make it work for everybody,' he said.
Zawacki has a master's degree in engineering and worked in manufacturing for 20 years, the last few as a director. But with designs on owning a business, he canceled his career to open that first cafe with his wife, who was a stay-at-home mom and is a fitness instructor.
Tandem bakes its own bagels, like plain, sesame and cinnamon raisin — but with a flair for the creative. The menu also includes snickerdoodle, French toast, jalapeno and parmesan offerings.
Cream cheese goes beyond the conventional plain, chive and veggie, to include strawberry, blueberry, honey walnut, bacon, cinnamon roll, pumpkin and others.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, nearly 20% of small enterprises fail in their first year, while nearly half go dark in their first five years.
Meanwhile, Tandem Bagel Co. is attracting an increasing number of customers and opening new cafes, the latest expected at the end of this year in the old Westfield train station.
'It's exciting to be part of the community, to interact with customers,' said Andrea Zawacki. 'I like talking to them and meeting new people. I feel we're a good part of every community we're in.'
Read the original article on MassLive.
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