UPDATE: Get a coupon for a free half a dozen bagels with a purchase of any drink here
Johnson City, TENN. – A family-owned, scratch-made bagel shop is coming to Johnson City, Tennessee. The bagel shop, Wheeler’s Bagels, is under construction at 230 Marketplace Boulevard, Suite 160, Johnson City, TN 37604, next to Universal Wines.
Owners, Gary Wheeler and Eric Wheeler, are a native New York father-son duo that transplanted to Vero Beach, Florida and opened Tasty-O-Doughnuts in 1970. What began as a 480 square foot walk-in doughnut shop grew into three locations with a main store of 1,800 square feet and the first doughnut drive-thru window in the county. The family business was sold nine years ago.
Prior to coming to Tennessee, Gary Wheeler served 16 years for the county commission and 8 years as an elected sheriff of an over 400-person department for Indian River County in the state of Florida. Eric served in law enforcement for the city of Sebastian, Florida for 13 years.
“We absolutely fell in love with Tennessee,” Eric Wheeler said. “The mountains, the people, the community; we want to start our next adventure here.”
The Wheelers are looking to serve the families and students of the Johnson City area with good food and good coffee.
“One of our specialties we are excited to offer is authentic iced coffee by utilizing coffee ice cubes,” Eric said. “Instead of serving refrigerated coffee, which sours from its own acidity over the course of a day, we pour fresh hot coffee over coffee ice cubes so that we serve a fresh, undiluted cup of iced coffee.”
Another feature of Wheeler’s Bagels is a coffee bar, where customers will be able to personalize their drinks with complimentary syrups including Godiva chocolate, caramel, and various lactose intolerance alternatives such as almond milk and rice milk. Wireless internet and refills on coffee and drinks are free.
The restaurant space has wooden flooring, window walls for a bright and airy ambience, and enough seating for 35 people. Breakfast and a full lunch deli will be offered from 5:00 AM to 4:00 PM, seven days a week.
The Wheelers are storytellers and it is their dream to see storytelling fused into the atmosphere of the bagel shop.
“Our vision is to host open mic nights for local musicians, songwriters, and poets to share their stories,” said Eric. “We want to encourage a balanced environment – one where you can always meet new people but still feel comfortable to get work done.”
Wheeler’s Bagels will be opening Thursday, May 15th, 2014.
For more information and photo updates, follow the developer, realtor and general contractor, Mitch Cox Companies, at their Facebook page.
Founded in Johnson City in 1979, Mitch Cox Companies is a full-service real estate investment and solutions company offering development, architectural, construction, brokerage and commercial property management services. The company also manages hotel properties across the Southeast and Midwest U.S. and manages residential community associations in the Tri-Cities region of Tennessee. To see our work, listings and news, visit our website, or call us at 423.282.6582.
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