When Sue Thompson opened Bagels on Broadway in 1993, she didn’t know a whole lot about bagels.
“I had never eaten one,” Sue said with a laugh.
Sue built a career in pediatric physical therapy, owning her own clinic in Missoula for many years. But she knew the physical demands of therapy would take their toll.
“I knew I had to get out of PT eventually,” Sue explained.
So, in December of 1993, Sue and a business partner opened Bagels on Broadway. She learned the art of making bagels from another shop owner.
“We had phenomenal bagels and we had phenomenal bakers,” Sue said. “It’s half science and half art. Without exception, our bakers take great pride in what they do and they do it with love and care and consistency.”
Sue sold Bagels on Broadway in early 2021, capping off a 27-year career. Along the way, she built an institution of sorts in downtown Missoula, offering not only bagels, but a gathering place for community members from all walks of life.
Running a bagel shop wasn’t always easy or without stress but Sue says it was all worth it, even in the beginning, when she and her staff faced the task of turning out a consistent, quality product that would keep people coming back for more.
“My son had recently graduated from high school. He went to learn how to make bagels,” Sue said. “He made the first bagels. He was a nervous wreck but they turned out perfectly.”
At the start, Bagels on Broadway boiled every bagel. Switching to a steam-injected oven several years in cut down on staffing requirements and time. But both systems required Sue to learn the ins and outs of equipment repair.
“Some nights, I’d go to bed and 15 minutes later, I’d wake up to a phone call that something needed to be fixed, so I’d work all night and then all day,” Sue explained. “You just never knew if the equipment would turn on.”
The mixer, for instance, held 350 pounds of dough. The parts came from Germany. So, if something broke down, there could be a wait for parts.
“Right or wrong, I have learned how to fix and rewire,” Sue said. “It was really on-the-job training. There was no way you could have planned for it or pre-learned it. Like so many professions, every day you had no idea what would hit you in the face or kick you in the butt.”
From fixing equipment to collaborating with staff and customers on ideas for new recipes, Sue relished the flexibility of owning her own business and making her own rules.
“I really enjoyed the creativity of trying new things,” she explained. “I didn’t really expect that. Experimenting with ideas was always entertaining. If it didn’t work, we’d ditch it and go to the next thing. But we could laugh either way.”
Keeping a sense of humor and thinking outside of the box led to a successful business. Among her nuggets of advice for aspiring business owners, Sue said that taking advice is important but that following your own intuition is crucial as well.
“Let life unfold but also realize you need to be in charge of your own life,” Sue said. “You have to be willing to put in the work. I was an integral part of every part of that shop. Sure, it’s exhausting but you have to be willing to do that.”
Over the years, Sue said she learned how to keep setbacks and challenges in perspective. She credits her staff and her customers.
“It takes a lot of finesse and a lot of caring. I just can’t give my staff enough credit,” she said. “I made such good friends with my staff, suppliers, and customers. Those are lifelong friendships.”
The downtown location hosts a wide variety of customers, which led to some of Sue’s best memories with nearly three decades at the helm.
“We’ve gone through life stories with people. Couples would get married at the courthouse and then come over for a bagel,” she said. “People told me stories about their families—good and bad.”
One long-time customer became very ill and confided in Sue. She spent time with him and his family in the hospital.
“When he passed away, his family asked if they could have his memorial at the bagel shop,” Sue explained. “I said, ‘Why not?’ That’s where his friends were. It was the most beautiful and meaningful service.”
Throughout her years downtown, relationships sustained and enriched Sue’s life and the lives of her customers, building the fabric of the Bagels on Broadway community. And that possibility—of helping each other through life (and making a good bagel)—isn’t over thanks to Sue’s commitment and passion.