TATAMY, Pennsylvania – In a year and a half, you could earn a master’s degree, learn a new language or maybe write a book.

For Gina Rouse, Jeremiah Rouse and Mike Fauerbach it was enough time to perfect their own bagel recipe.

And now the trio has opened a bagel shop with this recipe.

The Belvidere, 70 S. 8th St., Tatamy, officially opened Wednesday, following a “smart” opening on July 17.

It offers a wide selection of bagels and the staff can make a sandwich out of almost anything.

Fauerbach joked that he couldn’t decide on a favorite bagel because he likes to try out current customer orders.

But if you need a recommendation, Jeremiah Rouse said the sun-dried tomato bagel is always a good choice when it’s in season.

The store also sells coffee from Fieldstone Coffee Roasters, another small Ottsville business that roasts its coffee on a farm in Milford, New Jersey.

Then came the bagels

The Belvidere story begins with Fauerbach when he was 28. He said he had “always been interested in creativity” and enjoyed building companies.

First, he founded a clothing brand called Never Again Clothing. This was followed by his podcast Never Again Radio.

Experimenting with different content ideas, Fauerbach reached out to the Rouses — who he jokingly said had “adopted him into their family” — and suggested a cooking series in his podcast studio.

Some content has been a success, such as the episode of “Smashburger,” he said.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Gina Rouse started baking.

“She always wanted to open a café,” said Fauerbach.

Then came the bagels.

Fauerbach said they became “obsessed” with the bagels and tried to develop what he called a “high-end” bagel or “the perfect bagel.”

After a year and a half of making bagels, they came up with the current recipe they use now. Fauerbach describes it as “a cross between a Montreal bagel and a New York bagel.”

“This is not a recipe we bought,” said Fauerbach. “This is not a recipe we got from anyone. It was really developed completely from scratch.”

“It’s ours, it’s a recipe we developed ourselves, we can’t buy it, nobody gave it to us, you can’t find it on the internet. It’s purely the idea of ​​me and Gina Rouse – more Gina than me.”

Several pop-ups and bagel sales on social media later, the trio realized it was a hit. The bagels could sell out in minutes, Fauerbach said — as many as 300 at a time.

Fauerbach and Jeremiah Rouse both admitted that “bagels, when done right, achieve cult status.”

The Belvidere is born

Pop-ups didn’t offer enough stability; some sold out and others had little audience. That’s why, says Fauerbach, they toyed with the idea of ​​a stationary location.

“So I was working with my landlord to move the podcast studio, and there was this really beautiful piece of property, which was the old Nazareth Furniture,” he said.

“So we were supposed to go into the old Nazareth Furniture, and we worked on that for three years. And that’s why it’s called The Belvidere, because it’s on Belvidere Street.”

The plans for the former furniture store “Nazareth Furniture” had fallen through, so that they had to “hectically” look for a new location, he said.

This led to the current location and the same name: The Belvidere.

Since its unofficial opening, the store has had regular customers, said Jeremiah Rouse.

And all the days in between were marked by consistently positive reviews, said Jeremiah Rouse and Fauerbach in separate interviews.

“We are very proud of what we have accomplished and are thrilled that people enjoy our bagels,” said Rouse.

“We obviously had a good feeling when we started there. That’s why we opened the shop. We knew we had a pretty good bagel… And again, we are very, very grateful for all the support.”

“Reaching for the stars”

The bagel shop has been mentioned a few times in the Lehigh Valley Food and Travel Facebook group, with posters always acknowledging the rave reviews that prompt them to visit.

“You know a place is good when you pull into the parking lot and there’s a line in front of you,” Heather Getz said in an Aug. 10 post.

“The line moved quickly and we didn’t have to wait long. All I can say is, this is one of the best bagels I’ve had outside of New York.”

Other posts describe the bagels as “absolutely phenomenal,” “amazing,” and “so delicious.”

The company has a 4.9-star rating from 32 Google reviews.

And while the opening hours may seem atypical—Belvidere is only open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday—Fauerbach says they’re to ensure the bakery team can prepare enough fresh goods for its customers.

At the moment, Fauerbach said, “we’re aiming for the stars, so to speak.” He said the trio hopes to expand into the restaurant and wholesale sectors.

“Like a touch of home”

Regardless of where their business ventures take them, Fauerbach said, “We’re just lifelong best friends who opened a bagel shop together.”

On Wednesday, customers sounded grateful for the bagels their friends had made.

Chuck Hopper of Nazareth said he is originally from New Jersey – where bagels are sacred to some. Hopper ordered a sesame bagel and when he compared the two types of bagels, he was speechless.

“They’re good,” Hopper said. “And we’ve had a hard time finding a place that has really good, thick bagels. But I really enjoy it… I’ll be back.”

Rachel Zanders said she lived in New York for several years, another area where bagels are taken seriously.

“It was like a touch of home, great consistency,” she said.