Meet Kayla Palmer of Nashville’s Bagelshop
Get to know Bagelshop co-owner Kayla Palmer as she dishes on turning her hobby into a business, her favorite offerings at the shop, and more.
Mississippi native Kayla Palmer has a deep-rooted love for community, food, and service. She worked her way through college as a barista and bartender, and then a journalism internship led her to Nashville in 2016. But her true calling was in hospitality — and, ultimately, bagels!
After having a daughter, Kayla and her husband Max decided to turn a hobby into a business, launching Bagelshop from their home kitchen and working their way up to farmers’ markets and a devoted following. Now, the couple operates a brick-and-mortar in Donelson, where they offer hand-rolled, “Nashville-style” bagels. Get to know this week’s FACE of Nashville!
Tell us a bit about your upbringing.
I’m from a small town in Mississippi that you very likely haven’t heard of called Kosciusko (kah-zee-esko). I grew up an only child playing in my grandparents’ gardens with cousins and staying outside until the street lights came on.
I was eager to leave when I turned 19, though I do enjoy going back home to visit my family and catching up with friends … It’s truly a charming place, especially during the holidays.
Have you always loved to bake? What’s your earliest culinary memory?
I’ve always been in the kitchen watching my grandmothers bake biscuits, batch sun tea, process veggies from the garden, and prepare huge meals at Thanksgiving. Food is a big part of life in the South. One of my first memories is making biscuits with my Grandma Lillie. She loved being in the kitchen and always made sure everyone was taken care of.
Why bagels?
We started making bagels for our friends at work. We made flavors you’d typically not see in a traditional bagel, like cherry and vanilla (we need to recreate this ASAP). We got pretty comfortable with them, and no one else was delivering bagels at the time in Nashville.
Since this was taking off during the peak of COVID-19, the delivery model was a huge hit. It just kept growing until we entered the farmers’ market space and now our cute little shop!
What was the biggest challenge in getting your business off the ground?
The biggest challenge has, at times, been myself. The emotions of a business owner ebb and flow. I’ve worked very intentionally on channeling my energy to focus on myself and the business, giving it the time and effort it needs. I often struggle with impostor syndrome! It’s paralyzing at times. Luckily, I have a great network of other business owners who are always there to chat through scenarios and share wins with me. Community is everything!
If we can only choose one Bagelshop menu item, what should it be?
Right now, I’m always getting the Spicy Everything bagel with the Vegan Scallion + Dill Schmear. Our vegan cream cheese is unmatched!
Rumor has it that you and your husband host many events to gather the community. What can we look forward to?
We’ve had positive feedback on our “Quiet” Book Club, so those are here to stay. I’m looking forward to hosting a few different kinds of events … some may include music and art. Lots of ideas are brewing! One of the driving forces for our space and the shop layout was that it would be easy to transition into a place for events in the evening. We are excited to see where this takes us!
When you aren’t working, where can we find you?
I love going on long walks around my neighborhood or trying new restaurants around town.
Running a restaurant is demanding work. What do you do for self-care?
I’ve learned self care is really important so that I’m showing up as my best self. I’ve started taking extracurricular activities more seriously. I love moving my body at different exercise classes or something more relaxing like laying out a big blanket at the park with a good book and a little treat.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Be patient. That’s one of the hardest things to keep in mind. Human nature makes us feel like this is impossible, but as they say, good things take time.
Name three things can’t you live without.
Coffee, my journal, and my Aquaphor!
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite bagel flavor of all time? I am a poppy seed girl all day.
Favorite hidden gem in Nashville? While it’s hot out, I love going to the Icy Boys Snowballs walk-up window. It’s so nostalgic.
Favorite book or podcast? I’m an avid podcast listener — specifically, true crime podcasts! I just began the book No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. I will have to let you know what I think!
Guilty pleasure? I could watch Judge Judy and Dr. Phil all day long. Any daytime TV show … I love it!
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Southern women are doing inspiring work. Meet more of them over at our FACES archives!
Jenna von Oy Bratcher
Jenna von Oy Bratcher is StyleBlueprint's Associate Editor and Lead Nashville Writer. The East Coast native moved to Nashville almost two decades years ago, by way of Los Angeles. She is a lover of dogs, strong coffee, traveling, and exploring the local restaurant scene bite by bite.