Rockstar Bagels Robbed Twice

Bagel man Joe Humel has always worked nights; first as a rock drummer, and then as the guy making hundreds of New York-style bagels for local cafes and coffee shops. Now, Humel's relatively new retail outlet has unintentionally provided someone else with a night job – the thief who has broken into the store twice in the past month.

"It looks like first he tried pushing in the air conditioner and when that didn't work, he tore out the frame of a window with iron bars on it and crawled in through there," Humel reports. He added that the thief wore something over his head to avoid video cameras and was careful not to leave fingerprints on the damaged cash drawer, leading Humel to believe the thief is experienced.

"My friends who are putting in a coffee bar up the street on Chicon got hit too. They were doing some of the work themselves and someone broke a window and stole all the tools. I like this neighborhood, but this is such a hassle and a violation of my business. And there's just not a lot the police can do," Humel said.

In addition to the loss of money from the cash drawer, Humel has had to close for a day both times the store was hit to make a police report, repair damage from the break-in, and set things right again. So the loss of two days' sales revenue also gets factored into the problem. Being a stand-up guy, he donated the unsold bagels to Keep Austin Fed, the same place he donates unsold bagels at the end of every shift. Naturally, Humel hopes that anyone with information about the break-ins will contact him or the police. Meanwhile, drop by and buy a bagel. A hardworking guy with a good heart deserves loyal customers.

Rockstar Bagels
1900 Rosewood, 512/524-1401
Daily, 7am-1pm
www.rockstarbagels.com