MACON, Ga. — Forbes magazine named Macon 'one of the south's best kept secrets'. The travel article highlights many of the great qualities of Macon.
The article included many of the great food options, including Macon Bagels which quickly gained popularity in its first year.
It turns out that Macon's vibe lured the owner's to the city when they weren't even expecting it.
What started as a pit stop on the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains later turned into an opportunity for a place to kickstart a business.
"We were just exploring downtown and seeing all of the cool buildings and other businesses and thinking it was an affordable and interesting place to start something," co-owner Lauren Bone said.
Then, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bone picked up baking. She baked her way into bagels, which got the dough rolling to eventually lead to her and her partner's business, Macon Bagels.
"We were working down in Florida and toying with the idea of starting our own business and trying to find a market where it would be a good niche for us," she said.
Macon turned out to be the hot spot for them to open the doors to their first business. Little did they know Macon Bagels would soon be recognized by the national magazine, Forbes.
"We kind of thought it would be a sleepy little bagel shop and not get as much attention as it's gotten so that was really an honor and something you never would imagine especially something to to happen in our first year," Bone said.
Numerous other aspects of Macon were mentioned in the article. Aaron Buzza with Visit Macon says Macon has a lot to offer.
"I wouldn't say we are a secret, but I think as we are extended through national media like this it allows us to plant the seeds in the heads of people who may not have thought about Macon before," he said.
Seeds that can sprout into more tourism and more visitors to check out the local mom-and-pop shops around town.
The crew at Macon Bagels say are dedicated to keeping it as good of a product as possible. They are thinking about growing but in a way that preserves their quality and service.
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