Boichik Bagels in Berkeley, California, makes the best bagels in the world. That’s just my opinion; the New York Times famously rated Boichik as the best, topping even iconic bagels from New York City.
When that originally happened, I spoke to Boichik owner, Emily Winston, about her store. Winston is an engineer by training and spent years perfecting the perfect bagel.
Now, though, Winston wants to share her bagel with far more people. Her tiny Berkeley store still has lines around the block. But Winston has bigger ambitions than that.
That’s why she recently raised almost $1 million from her community, using it to create a bagel factory on Sixth Street.
The space also serves as a bagel store. There’s a giant plate glass window where you can watch the production line.
What’s inside? Well, given that this is the Bay Area, and remembering Winston’s engineering background, you might not be surprised to find that the answer is: a robot!
Here it is in action.
As you can see, this automated assembly line isn’t about to replace tons of jobs. That robot in the line still requires dedicated human supervision. But as you can also see in the video, it allows Winston’s factory to turn out hundreds of bagels every hour.
Those will get shipped to stores around the Bay Area, and eventually the world.
You can stop by the original Boichik Bagels location in Berkeley on College Avenue, or stop by the factory for a more high-tech experience.
Heads up for parents; there’s a viewing platform in the factory where your kids can watch the robot work. It’s potentially hours of entertainment.
