From pop-ups to a brick-and-mortar location, the journey of Ruby’s Bagels has been one of perseverance, community, and deliciously intentional bagels. Daniela Varela has been churning out doughy delights since 2019, after a road trip to Cleveland and an at-home bagel-making hobby sparked an idea for a bagelry in the Milwaukee area.
Since then, she’s grown her business into a bagel powerhouse in the 414: fueling Milwaukeeans and visitors, uplifting the community, and creating a work environment that allows her team to feel like they’re a part of something bigger.
We wanted to chat with Daniela to learn how she turned a simple idea for freshly-baked bagels into a local brand with a dedicated following (people really love their bagels)!
How did Ruby’s Bagels get its start? What is your background?
Ruby’s Bagels started in 2019 after I taught myself how to make bagels at home. I was inspired during a road trip to Cleveland, where I visited a local bagel shop and realized Milwaukee didn’t have something like that at the time. I come from a big Mexican family where food was always at the center, my mom and aunts really shaped how I see cooking. I was studying microbiology at UWM at the time, but I fell in love with the process of baking bagels. What started as experimenting turned into pop ups, food truck, and now a full on bagel shop.
How long have you been in business? Have you faced any major challenges with growing your business or any triumph stories?
We’ve been in business since January 1, 2019. It started as me doing pop ups at coffee shops/markets. The biggest challenge we’ve had to deal with was a kitchen fire in a shared kitchen back in 2023 , thankfully no one was hurt but we lost all of our equipment and inventory. Thanks to the community we were able to find a few temporary kitchen options and re purchase a mixer to continue to work.
In that same year we were on the Bon Appetit list of Best Bagels in the US outside of NYC, and that till this day has been such a huge triumph moment, also with the opening of our bagel shop in 2025 and lastly, building a team and seeing how much we’ve grown in structure.
What is Ruby’s Bagels, and why did you feel it would be a good fit in Milwaukee?
Ruby’s Bagels is a bagel shop focused on quality and community. We make our bagels from scratch and put a lot of intention into everything we serve.
Milwaukee felt like the right place because it’s my home. I grew up here, and I felt like there was space for something like this, grounded in community, something that was an easy but delicious breakfast option for creatives, working class and students on their way to work on their own dreams.
What’s the mission behind Ruby’s Bagels?
The mission is to create something bigger than just a bagel shop. It’s about creating jobs, building something for my community, and showing younger people especially on the South Side that you can build something of your own. It takes a lot of work but, the point is not quitting when things go wrong or get challenging.
What is it like being a small business in MKE? If you’re a woman, minority, or LGBTQ+ owned business, please feel free to touch on your experiences as an entrepreneur in that space as well.
Being a small business owner in Milwaukee is rewarding, but it’s not easy. There are a lot of challenges that people don’t see, especially as a first-generation Mexican American woman navigating spaces that aren’t always built for you. I’ve been denied so many things, loans, commissary kitchens etc. Sometimes I felt like a joke, but I kept moving forward. And I am so happy that I did. It pushes you to be resourceful, to build community, and to show up fully as yourself. I find that powerful.
What do you like about being in Milwaukee?
I love how community driven Milwaukee is. People really show up for small businesses here, and there’s a strong sense of pride in the city. Also my relationship with other business owners and customers is special.
What’s your favorite part about what you’re doing?
My favorite part is building something literally from the ground up and watching it evolve, it has been a slower process than when you have a business partner or restaurant groups/investors but I feel like I have been able to learn with my team in all aspects. Seeing my team grow, take ownership, and be proud of what we’re building together is a highlight for me, lastly when our customers share photos or stories with me also adds to my list of favorite things.
What can people expect when going to Ruby’s Bagels?
People can expect fresh, handmade bagels, a solid menu, nothing complicated, and a team that really cares. There’s a lot of intention behind everything we do.
Anything else we should know about your business or anything you’d like to mention? Any favorite stories?
One thing that stands out is how many people have been with us since the food truck days. Seeing customers grow with us, support us through every stage that’s been really special. At the end of the day, Ruby’s is still growing, still building and that’s something I’m really proud of.