A little about us
We are Katie and Michael Startzman, owners and founders of Native Bagel Company & Nightjar. We started selling bagels from a cart at the Berea Farmers Market in 2016 and are proud to operate from the historic building we own in Berea. For more about us, our restaurant leadership, core values, and business timeline, read on below…
Meet our Leadership Team.
These exceptional, hard-working folks uphold our core values, lead our fantastic staff, and bring their own creativity and vision to our restaurant.
Rhonda
NBC MANAGER
Jeremy
NJ HEAD CHEF
Leslie
NJ FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER
Small Shop, Big Vision
We are a creative, can-do restaurant with big plans. From our start as a bagel cart at Berea Farmer’s Market in April 2016 to our current charming location in downtown Berea, we have created a welcoming vibe, inspiring space, and top-notch food and beverages. We work hard every day to create the kind of community we want to live in through how we do business.
Hard Working
We bring our best selves to work each day as we fulfill the individual roles that contribute to the larger work of our restaurant. Staff who thrive at our restaurant are community-minded and share our commitment to warm service and great food and beverages. We recognize how critical our employees are in upholding our vision and culture, and are continually working to be a place where all employees feel supported, well-compensated, and honored as individuals with rich lives outside the business.
Connected to Community
Native Bagel and Nightjar are instrumental in defining Berea as an authentic, close, and creative community. We believe in supporting local farms and value-driven producers. We extend warmth and generosity to our customers and enjoy genuinely engaging with our regulars and first-time guests to ensure their visit to our restaurant is the best part of their day. Community is at the very core of who we are.
Consistently Excellent
We believe in doing simple things well, and we seek to delight our guests each time they visit. At Native Bagel Company and Nightjar, we strive to be a standard-setting restaurant with a strong vision, top-notch food and beverages, and level of service on par with special neighborhood restaurants across the country.
2015 - November
After completing an entrepreneur training series with Mountain Association, Katie tests bagel recipes, bakes small batches, and delivers them around town to delighted taste testers.
2016 - January
We begin the renovation of our detached garage into a state-certified commercial kitchen.
2016 - April
The kitchen passes its final inspection and is ready for us to start making bagels to sell at the Berea Farmer’s Market.
April 2016
The turnout at our first market blew us away! Our bagels sold out in an hour, thanks to our community's amazing support and enthusiasm. Seeing so many smiling faces that would soon become regulars - even today - was heartwarming and affirming. We made more bagels the next week!
April 2017
After many diy renovations, Michael quit his day job and we move into our first brick-and-mortar location on Boone Street. The space is small, with about 12 seats. Assisted by Katie’s sisters, Laura and Abby, our opening day was filled with new and familiar faces.
September 2018
Turns out we needed more than 12 seats! We purchased 436 Chestnut Street and remodeled the dining room with the help of our talented family members. When we opened, the response was once again overwhelming, and we were immediately grateful for the “real” commercial kitchen and dining room.
April 2020
Covid-19 arrives March 2020. Katie and Michael sell bulk bagels online for a few weeks, but the reality of the pandemic forces us to temporarily close our doors.
July 2020
Back in the kitchen slinging bagels after three months away, and we were thrilled to bring all our staff back.
November 2021
Because we wanted a place to get an excellent cocktail and burger in Berea, we built a bar in the dining room. Nightjar is open, and we operate as two separate concepts under one roof.