Blacklist Bagels looks to transition from ghost kitchen to storefront
GRAND RAPIDS - When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country last year, Kevin Chaperon took the home-baking bread-baking trend to the next level and launched a ghost kitchen concept called Blacklist Bagels LLC.
Chaperon worked in the Grand Rapids restaurant industry for years, previously working in an East Lansing bagel shop. He's also the former head chef at The Commons in the Heritage Hill neighborhood of Grand Rapids, where the owner allowed Chaperon to make and eventually sell bagels during the pandemic. The Commons became the home base of the blacklist.
"I had previously worked in a bagel shop and was obsessed with bagels that I hadn't recognized before the pandemic," Chaperon said. "In the beginning it was a little difficult for people to understand what blacklist was and we got orders from people who called and thought it was a real bakery."
Chaperon recognizes household names on orders, but seldom sees any of its customers' faces, he said.
"People just come to the front door and their order just sits there," said Chaperon. “I only know their names. It would be nice to have a shop front and actually get to know these people. "
With indoor dining allowed again and business resuming for The Commons, Chaperon will spend limited time baking in the kitchen over the weekend before the restaurant opens.
He is now looking for space to start his own business in Grand Rapids, but his biggest obstacles are finding the right place and capital to open a physical space. Chaperon launched a Kickstarter campaign aiming to raise $ 15,000 for a small business loan to purchase appliances, kitchen remodeling, and initial lease and rental costs.
"I was a bit limited by my place and I have no employees, it's just me and my girlfriend," said Chaperon. "As soon as I have the staff and time to go back to the kitchen and come up with some recipes, I want to try so many things that you can put on a bagel."
The blacklist is part of the growing trend of so-called ghost kitchens or temporary restaurant facilities that only offer pickup or delivery. Ghost kitchens, once considered a natural response to the pandemic, have become part of the global food industry fabric that is likely to outlast COVID-19 restrictions.
Still, Chaperon has a more traditional future in which he can play a major role.
Chaperon left his duties as head chef at The Commons shortly before the pandemic because he wanted to step down from a leadership role. He worked temporarily as a baker for the nearby Royals restaurant, a position he would likely still be if it weren't for COVID-19, he said.
"Without the pandemic, I absolutely would not have done that," said Chaperon. “In many ways, the pandemic has obviously tested a large part of our mental ability to stay home and do nothing, but I'm a little glad it happened. I've been in this industry for so long and how long can I just be a line chef? "
Chaperon is happy to participate in a restaurant where he can pay his employees a decent wage and create a positive, inclusive work environment - both of which can be difficult to find in the service industry.
"I've just worked in this industry for so long and was overworked and underrated, and I don't want to do that with any of my employees," said Chaperon.
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