“I was in corporate for 30-plus years,” Hilbert said. “I was in event marketing, and nobody was throwing a lot of events.”
Before moving to Trophy Club six years ago, Hilbert and his family lived in Connecticut, and he worked in New York City for almost 20 years. Since moving to Texas, the Hilbert family could not find good New York-style bagels. With his newly found leisure time, Hilbert filled the void by making bagels.
“After a few iterations, I was using our friends and neighbors ... as taste testers,” Hilbert said.
By July 2020, Dan and his wife, Jennifer Hilbert, were filling online orders, and their cottage business became more than a pandemic hobby.
“I read about this lady in New Jersey in The New York Times. She is like the bagel whisperer,” Hilbert said. “She makes bagels, consults with people on how to make bagels and [to] open bagel shops.”
Following an apprenticeship with the “bagel whisperer,” the Hilberts leased a retail space and opened Dan’s Bagels on Aug. 3, 2021.
As co-owners, the Hilberts have found balance dividing responsibilities. Jennifer makes the cream cheeses—or shmears—and housemade salads, such as egg salad and chicken salad.
“I’m all about the bagels,” Hilbert said
Their menu is similar to those found in New York bagel shops: bagels, cream cheese, Dr. Brown’s Soda, black and white cookies, and crumb cake from the Bronx. The lox and smoked salmon are shipped overnight from New York, Hilbert said.
Regarding his rising bagel IQ, he said, “I got into the science of it: how yeast reacts when making dough, the proofing process, the precision of baking—the water, the flour. I always loved math, and baking has a ton of math.”
Dan’s Bagels, 301 Trophy Lake Drive, Ste. 132, Trophy Club. 817-440-4424. www.dansbagels.com Hours: Wed.-Sun. 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
