More Than Bagels

More Than Bagels: Julie Weed Gets Up Early to Make the Pastries

By Rebecca Johns, Hardin County IndependentThe first time Julie Weed walked into “More Than Bagels” located in the Pavilion Center at the corner of Ring Road and Miles Street, she never dreamed she’d soon own it.”I had been here several times,” said Weed.Weed, a Radcliff resident whose husband is retired military, spent many years helping her family with a home based baking and catering business. With a Hungarian heritage, baking is in the blood, Weed said.”I stopped in one day and noticed the for sale sign,” she said smiling.Weed went home and told her husband, Jim Weed, a human resources manager for American Commercial Barge Lines of Jeffersonville, Ind.”My husband called and set up the interview,” she said. The whole thing fell into place pretty quickly and before she knew it her dream of owning a bakery had come true.Weed didn’t change the name of the store; she just expanded the menu and hours.The previous owner, Weed said, ran the shop by herself and would close up the store when she ran out of bagels.”To run a shop like this by yourself is pretty hard,” she said.Weed has a support staff that includes her mother-in-law, Jean Weed, stepdaughter Jennifer Jackson and other family. Weed said her 12-year-old twins Brianna and Cole help clean on Saturday too.More Than Bagels has always offered sandwiches (made with bagels of course), smoothies and some coffees (frozen and hot).Weed bought the shop lock stock and recipe. Weed said she had never made bagels before buying the shop. “I’d made donuts,” she said. But making the bagels is easy, she added. “If you’re used to working with yeast dough, you pick it up pretty quickly.”The shop offers 19 varieties of bagels and several varieties of cream cheese.Beyond the original “More Than Bagels” menu, Weed is expanding her menu.”I saw the potential to not only sell bagels but sell pastries too,” said Weed.She started out with giant cinnamon rolls, which, she said, the customers’ love.Weed has also added several of the traditional bakery favorites like, turnovers, small pies made with a cinnamon crust, muffins and Hungarian Nut Roll.The nut roll has been a big hit with customers, she said.”My vision is to do 60 percent bagels and 40 percent pastries,” she said.Weed begins her workday at 4 a.m. in order to get her goodies ready in time for her 6 a.m. opening.More Than Bagels is open Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.Weed also takes pastry orders for holidays and special occasions.