Blazing Bagels

Blazing Bagels and Bakery, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryRestaurant
GenreBakery
Founded2001 (2001) in Redmond, Washington, United States
FounderDennis Ballen
DefunctMarch 2026 (2026-03)
FateBankruptcy
Headquarters
Redmond, Washington
,
United States
Number of locations
4
Area served
Seattle metropolitan area
ProductsBagels
OwnerBallen family
Number of employees
110 (2017)

Blazing Bagels and Bakery, Inc., doing business as Blazing Bagels,[1] was an American regional chain of bagel bakeries based in Redmond, Washington, with operations throughout the Seattle metropolitan area.[2] The business was founded by Dennis Ballen in 2001 and owned by him and his family.[1][3][4] All locations suddenly closed in March 2026 due to financial trouble.[1][5]

Description

Blazing Bagels was a Redmond, Washington-based bagel company with multiple locations in the Seattle metropolitan area. Menu categories included "Cheesy" and "Meat Topped"; bagel varieties included French toast, pesto, and rosemary.[6]

History

Dennis Ballen established the business in Redmond, Washington,[7] opening a storefront in 2001.[8] Blazing Bagels had four locations in the Seattle metropolitan area, as of 2020, operating in Redmond, Bellevue,[9][10][11] and Seattle's Ravenna and SoDo neighborhoods.[6][12] The business also supplied local restaurants such as Dingfelder's Delicatessen.[13][14]

Ballen once sued the city of Remond after he was stopped "from putting an employee on a corner in a sandwich-board sign that advertised fresh bagels".[15][16][17][18][19]

The company employed approximately 110 people and sold approximately 36,000 bagels per day as of 2017.[20] In 2018, The Seattle Times said Blazing made 7 million bagels annually.[2]

The business supported local charities, donating approximately 220,000 bagels annually, as of 2019. Blazing Bagels collaborated with athletes such as J. P. Crawford[21] and Marco Gonzales to release signature sandwiches with proceeds benefitting various organizations.[22][23] In 2019, the Remond location was the starting point for the Tulip Ride, a motorcycle ride to Skagit Valley benefitting Seattle Humane.[24]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the business operated via delivery and take-out.[25]

Dennis Ballen retired from the company on March 27, 2025, with his daughters subsequently taking over operations.[1] Later that December, Blazing Bagels closed its wholesale business and shrunk its in-store menu due to issues with its solvency; a new menu was introduced in February 2026.[1] Meanwhile, rumors swirled within the company that some locations could close, but hiring and equipment upgrade efforts continued until March 12, when employees received an email stating that the company was bankrupt and would close as a result.[5] Employees stayed off work the following day, with many returning two days after receiving the email to retrieve personal items as a company representative confirmed the permanent closure to local media; the workers were notified that they would only receive pay for completed working hours despite the sudden halt to operations.[5]

Reception

Allecia Vermillion of Seattle Metropolitan wrote in 2020, "These bagels have a fan base, for sure, one that perplexes bagel purists."[6] Christina Ausley included Blazing Bagels in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's 2020 overview of the city's best bagel shops.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Lenzmeier, Trevor (March 14, 2026). "Seattle-area bagel chain flames out, closing its 5 retail locations". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  2. ^ a b "The great Seattle-area bagel taste test". The Seattle Times. March 1, 2018. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023. Local Redmond-based chain Blazing Bagels also makes them big 'n' tall, but has consistency nailed: They make more than 7 million (!?) bagels a year, so they should. Blazing's specimens had the advantage of actual flavor and a visible crumb (rather than gum), but a bagel-authenticity stickler would still absolutely reject their squooshy texture.
  3. ^ Sandefur, Timothy (October 1, 2010). The Right to Earn a Living: Economic Freedom and the Law. Cato Institute. ISBN 978-1-935308-34-8. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Overland, Bethany (July 22, 2011). "Blazing Bagels makes dough via retail, wholesale". Puget Sound Business Journal. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Toay, Adel (March 14, 2026). "Blazing Bagels abruptly closes all locations amid bankruptcy". KING 5 News. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  6. ^ a b c Tomky, Naomi; Vermillion, Allecia (January 24, 2025). "A Field Guide to Seattle Bagels". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  7. ^ Bolick, Clint (September 1, 2013). Leviathan: The Growth of Local Government and the Erosion of Liberty. Hoover Institution Press. ISBN 978-0-8179-4553-4. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Christina, Ausley (October 7, 2020). "Where to find Seattle's best bagel shops". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Chan, Rosalie. "We checked out the neighborhood where Amazon is building a new 43-story tower in Bellevue, its tallest office building yet". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 11, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  10. ^ "Business at Blazing Bagels heats up". Redmond Reporter. March 26, 2009. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  11. ^ Miller, Brian (June 6, 2022). "Hines debuts design for Main Street Place, with offices, apartments and a 'town square'". Daily Journal of Commerce. Archived from the original on June 12, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  12. ^ "Blazing Bagels by Safeco Field". The Seattle Times. February 15, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Lenzmeier, Trevor (December 3, 2021). "Take a self-guided walking (and munching) tour of Seattle's 'Bagel-muda Triangle'". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  14. ^ Clement, Bethany Jean (October 11, 2018). "Is Seattle ready for the $18 sandwiches at Dingfelder's Delicatessen?". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  15. ^ O'Conner, Colleen (June 20, 2011). "Cities, businesses go round and round on twirling signs of the times". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  16. ^ Brandweek. Adweek L.P. 2006. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  17. ^ Holt, Gordy (July 22, 2003). "Bagel business sues Redmond over sign ban". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  18. ^ Sullum, Jacob (December 1, 2003). "Moving Violation". Reason.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  19. ^ Richman, Dan (January 22, 2004). "Blazing Bagels! Ban is lifted on portable signs in Redmond". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  20. ^ "How IJ Helped Blaze a Trail with the Bagel King of Seattle". Institute for Justice. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  21. ^ "For the Love of Dogs and Baseball: J.P. Crawford Pitches Sandwiches for Charity". South Seattle Emerald. July 12, 2021. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  22. ^ Li, Michelle (August 15, 2019). "Mariners family and Blazing Bagels team up for multiple system atrophy awareness". KING 5 News. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  23. ^ Morin, Richard. "Daily Sports Smile: MLB pitcher and wife create limited edition wine to benefit neurological nonprofit". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  24. ^ "TV star Katee Sackhoff advocates for animals at this weekend's Tulip Ride". KING 5 News. April 25, 2019. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  25. ^ COVID-19 pandemic:
  • Media related to Blazing Bagels at Wikimedia Commons
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