Bagel store that ditched tipping, continues to see support from customers

BOUNTIFUL — A small business in Bountiful gained attention for its decision not to ask for tips at checkout and says the decision was worth it.

“I didn’t think it was going to turn into a business. I started for fun. They didn’t know we were here. And I was like, ‘Yeah, we kind of fly under the radar!’” said Cheryl Mignone, owner of Cheryl’s Bagels.

The Cheryl’s Bagels are made East Coast style.

“They are boiled. They’re kettled, and then they’re baked,” Mignone said Mignone.

Last fall, Mignone implemented a rule not to ask customers to tip at checkout, but they may be asked their names as returning customers.

“For me, the greatest thing is seeing the same people. We call them the regulars,” she said.

Some of the first regulars through the door are Erin Genco and her husband.

“The first thing we do on the weekend is get up and drive to the bagels,” Genco said.

Even if that means driving 30 minutes out of the way, Genco said it is totally worth it.

“Like, we have to come get our bagel fix!” she said.

Originally from New York, Genco testifies that bagels are the real deal.

“If you put a bagel side by side between the East Coast and here, I don’t even know if I could possibly tell the difference,” she said.

Perhaps the biggest difference is the women-powered team behind the counter of Cheryl’s Bagels and the community that comes through the door.

“It’s a form of connectedness. And to me, that’s what this is all about. It’s about bagels, but the bagels are the things that make us connected to people,” Mignone said.

Mignone said her alarm is going off at 3:00 a.m. on the earliest work days.

“We give it our everything every day,” she said.

If you’ve wanted to try one, Mignone said she is proud of the “Everything” bagel and suggests you try hers.

Looking ahead, Mignone said she would love to hire enough staff so the store could open for extended hours and, in the future, look at potentially opening another location.