New Hastings business Bayside Bagels is rocking the city's east side

Tom Foley, Cian Jefferson and Thomas Hughes have just moved their growing bagel business into the Common Room in Hastings' CBD. Photo / Paul Taylor

Three Te Awanga friends had an idea during lockdown that's proved a winner, and has now grown into a Hastings CBD business.

Thomas Hughes, Cian Jefferson and Tom Foley never imagined they'd own a bagel shop when they were kids, or even a year ago.

But the dream recently came true as the three friends from Te Awanga moved their growing business, which began in lockdown, into the Common Room in Hastings CBD.

Bayside Bagels began during lockdown when the three friends were all back in Hawke's Bay.

Jefferson was keen to make bagels as he'd enjoyed Beam Me Up Bagels while at university, and Foley had the baking experience, previously making pizzas at Vinci's and experimenting with sourdough.

The three all come from foodie families - "we love some toasted bread, eh" - and, with permission to use the Clive Pub kitchen for a couple of hours in the morning to "madly bake a whole bunch of bagels", the business began.

"That was the phase where every weekend we just did it without fail, we'd go out on a Friday night and just get up and go for it," Jefferson says.

The business moved into the Common Room in Hastings' CBD this February. Photo / Paul Taylor

"Looking back on that now, the position we are in to have this shop is crazy."

They started doing local deliveries in the Te Awanga, Haumoana area then moved into dropping them at cafes and collection points in Hawke's Bay.

The "huge turning point" when they realised what the business could be was when they did a pop-up at the Sea Sisters event.

Other pop-ups followed then word was out that they were looking for shop space.

The Common Room offer came up and, with it already being their "drinking hole" and fitting the vibe of the shop, they opened there on February 17.

"It's just so welcoming here and it has such a wide range of humans as well which is so our kaupapa to have a real varied demographic," Jefferson said.

He said the new venture is "very fresh" for all of them and Hughes reckons there is "no way" they could've done it if they weren't all friends first.

For Foley, opening his own venture is "the dream" and the reason he got into hospitality.

The developing east side of Hastings has been a perfect fit for the new business, with the other local firms being supportive of the new business.

"They're not trying to see you as competition or none of that, it's just like yo, you're the new kid on the block, come in," Jefferson said.

Their families have also played a big part, helping develop the menu and jumping in to help do dishes on the first Saturday they were open.

"Without the support of them we would have really struggled," Jefferson says.

Foley's nan has also contributed her homemade lemonade recipe which is made fresh in the kitchen.

There's been some "woah, we made it" moments and from now they intend on growing the menu offering, the vibe of the space and the business as a whole.