ABOUT US
“Do the least traditional thing the most traditional way possible"
We are Bagel Joint’s founders, Lanty and Will. We founded Bagel Joint as a way to celebrate global flavors through the lens of Ashkenazi Jewish food, a genuine extension of the typical fusion you could find on our table at home any day of the week.
Believe it or not, neither of us comes from a culinary background. We actually met in graduate school for Music Business, though we always found an excuse to bake baguettes or matcha pound cakes for our classmates. Music brought us together, but we bonded even more over exploring the rich culinary diversity of New York City. When we got married in 2022, our party favors were sesame bagel hats, a symbol of our union as a Taiwanese woman and a nice Jewish boy from New York.
ABOUT WILL SACKS
Some people know Will Sacks as the bagel world’s Willy Wonka; but others may know him from his work in live music. In 2023, Will left an eight year career in live entertainment to bake bagels full time (with a large push from his wife Lanty), and there’s never been a moment to look back since. As Bagel Joint’s founder, Will’s passion for Jewish food is only outmatched by his appreciation for global food cultures.
ABOUT LANTY HOU
Starting to cook in the kitchen with her mother at the age of four, Lanty Hou had never imagined the possibility of being a culinary professional. Whether during her time at Ogilvy and Mather in Taiwan or at Arista Records in New York, Lanty always found a way to decompress in the kitchen by hosting gatherings with elaborate menus. When Will started baking for the farmers market, Lanty hopped into the mix out of sheer necessity. When she was laid off from Sony Music in January 2024, Lanty found her place leading Bagel Joint’s merchandising and marketing efforts. When she’s not rolling bagels, you can find Lanty baking canelés and macarons.