We spoke with Bagel Café owner Craig Bass:

How long have you lived/worked in NP?

I’m from Westfield. We just passed eight years here. 

Why do you love NP/ what do you appreciate about the community here?

I love this small town feel and everybody’s super supportive of each other. That’d be the main thing.

What is your role in the community? How about your business/organization?

I’ve been fortunate here and the business has been, you know, successful. So I have a lot. You know, I’m humble about it. And I feel like for me, my personality is to keep giving back so I support people whenever I can.

What impact have you/your organization had on the community?

There’s all different needs that come up. From helping out boosters and you know, we’ve put a lot of money into band, cancer, Relay for Life, and stuff like that. And Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

Can you describe your time here in NP? How did the business start and grow?

Okay, so I had no idea I was going into the bagel business, but I was out of work for over two years:  family, kids, mortgage, health care stuff. And then I found this place. I was looking to buy a business and looking at all different types of businesses. And then I found this and I took these bagels and I was like, well, these are pretty darn good. And I took a shot so I was 47 years old. Went into the restaurant industry after being out of work for two years.

How long have you been in the food industry? and how did you become interested in it?

I was in finance for years, but had lost my job. So I had to remake myself, but food and things like that is a big interest of mine. I studied that when I was in college, but just didn’t go into it out of college. I studied hotel restaurant management, and went into finance right out of that. I was in the city forever until I lost my job. I was trying to stay in the city, it just didn’t work out.