Hemant Mathy, the founder of Singapore’s The Bagel Bunch, is the embodiment of the modern entrepreneur: a strategic thinker with a full-time corporate job, a creative spirit with a passion for fusion flavours, and a leader who thrives in ‘delightful chaos’. What began as a home-based business for fun in May 2021 has evolved into a bustling physical shop in Buona Vista, all while Hemant has continued to build a parallel career in SEO. His journey is a masterclass in balancing passion with pragmatism and embracing the unexpected with a uniquely confident mindset.
A communications graduate, Hemant was working with non-profits when he started The Bagel Bunch. Even after taking his first corporate job in December 2021, he continued to operate the business from home and at weekend pop-ups. The dream of a physical shop began to take shape in 2023, when he found partners who believed in his vision. After quitting his job to dedicate eight months to building the shop, which opened in May 2024, he has since returned to the corporate world, now juggling his SEO firm role with the demands of a thriving food business. ‘I'm hoping to balance both,’ he says, ‘but at the same time, I want to further develop my skill sets.’
The core concept for The Bagel Bunch was clear from the start. ‘I wanted Asian fusion flavours,’ Hemant explains. ‘You see a variety of bagel shops in Singapore, but they lack a unique selling proposition (USP) for Asian flavours.’ This vision drove his recipe development, a self-taught process aided by online research, YouTube videos, and the supportive community of Reddit’s r/bagel. After much tweaking, he perfected his bagel recipe and began crafting signature fillings, like the butter chicken bagel, inspired by a quick Google search for Indian recipes. He even uses AI like Gemini to bounce around marketing ideas and validate new flavour concepts, such as the recently launched mala bagel.
Though technically a millennial, Hemant identifies as a ‘Gen Z entrepreneur’. He explains this mindset through the lens of ‘cringe culture’. ‘Millennials couldn't stand cringe culture,’ he observes, ‘but Gen Z tends to embrace it… they're not shy about telling people what they want to achieve.’ This translates directly to his business philosophy. ‘It's not about shying away from something because it might not work; it's about embracing it because it might.’ This approach fosters an authenticity and transparency that resonates through every aspect of his brand.
His strategic thinking is evident in the choice of location. Hemant was adamant about opening in Buona Vista, a high-traffic area with a diverse crowd of students, office workers, hospital staff, and local residents. ‘It was a no-brainer to pinpoint that area because there wasn't a sizable bagel business scene,’ he says.
As the shop has stabilised, Hemant has stepped back from day-to-day operations to focus on management and B2B activities, supported by partners who bring corporate law and business development expertise to the table. He has built a team that embodies his philosophy of ‘vibing with the chaos’. He recounts a particularly stressful incident when a key broke in the lock just before the lunch rush, trapping staff inside the kitchen. The team’s response was the epitome of ‘delightful chaos’: the barista calmly took pre-orders from the queue outside while Hemant called a locksmith. ‘It's things like being proactive and just riding out all the chaos that happens,’ he reflects. ‘Everyone who placed a pre-order received everything on time.’
For aspiring food entrepreneurs, Hemant offers nuanced advice born from experience. He believes in taking the leap. ‘You will most likely regret not doing it versus doubling down and giving it a shot,’ he says. However, he cautions against blind optimism, acknowledging that it’s a ‘double-edged sword’. His advice is to listen to your gut. ‘If your gut tells you the risk is worth taking, by all means, do it. But if your gut has a hint of doubt, then it's okay to stop and think about it.’ It takes, he admits, ‘a particular element of insanity’ to succeed.
With the shop now stable, the focus is on gradual improvement, with new cream cheese flavours recently launched and more Western-style bagels in the works. For Hemant, the greatest joy remains the creative process. ‘Being able to come up with the recipes and tweak them, and being able just to put something out there that's your own. It's scary… but I appreciate having been allowed to do this.’
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Want to learn more about Hemant’s journey and his unique approach to business and bagels? Read the full interview in LUMINOSITY, volume number 6.5 of INTERLUNAR's zine.
