“I tried to just kind of block that out [the nerves] and just focus on making bagels because I was like, ‘There are no bagels in town. We have good bagels, a good operation, and the food tastes good,’” Cunningham said.
White, however, was nervous. The couple moved from New York in 2016 for Cunningham’s dream of opening a restaurant and a change of pace. They were attracted to Austin by the outdoor attractions, the live music scene, the friendliness of the locals and the community support for small businesses.
“We wanted to explore a new city,” White said. “We had come to Austin a couple of times before, everybody was—I mean you've heard a million people say it—everybody was so warm and welcoming and friendly.”
The couple initially thought they might open a live music venue. Then, on their first weekend in Austin, they could not find a place to get bagels—which had been their normal routine in New York. When they settled on a national chain, the line was out the door.
“We couldn't get any bagels. We just thought that surely we were living in a simulation because there's surely a bagel shop,” Cunningham said.
The couple knew nothing about making bagels, but they began planning to open a shop.
They knew they wanted the name to represent their dog, a red and white Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Charlie. White said Charlie has always been nervous so “nervous Charlie” seemed natural.
Cunningham stayed with his uncle, who has a small business making New York-style bagels in Tennessee.
Cunningham opted to import the dough fresh from New York. But when he made his first batches of bagels, they failed.
“What people don’t realize is bagels are really finicky,” Cunningham said. “And finally, it all came together. We just kept making them until finally they worked. I literally did not sleep, I think, the night prior to the soft opening.”
When the restaurant opened in September 2018, Cunningham started with two racks, which each hold 300 bagels, and thought they would never use the second. On their first day, he made between 200-300 bagels and sold out within an hour. For the first month, Cunningham said they could not make enough bagels to keep from selling out.
Cunningham said they had some press attention and a sign out front that said, “The bagels are coming,” but that he thinks a lot of the people lined up around the block in those early days were excited to see a new restaurant on North Lamar Boulevard, back when that strip on road was less developed.
“I think people saw it and thought, ‘No one opens a new restaurant on North Lamar,’” Cunningham said.
Now, Nervous Charlie’s has six racks. The menu includes more than a dozen types of bagels and 10 breakfast and lunch sandwich options.
Nervous Charlie’s is be a vendor at Austin City Limits this year and recently catered the 2021 Formula One Grand Prix.
“I feel more at home in Austin than I ever did in New York City,” Cunningham said.
White said she still misses her home in rural Pennsylvania, but she loves being in Austin.
“The life that we built for ourselves down here is something I never thought that would happen,” White said. "The success and drive that we have had was enormous. [Nervous] Charlie's has been amazing. Like Chris said, we've really found a family down here with our friend group that are really strong support.”
