Following the success of the sought-after stuffed bagel shop opening in Woodstock, Moonrise Bagels is expanding across the river with a second storefront in Poughkeepsie. What started on New Year’s Eve in 2020 as an idea to put the toppings inside the bagel has quickly become a victorious reality for owners Ali Chetkof and Jeremy Rhodes. After opening their original location in 2021, a lot has changed for the duo, who married in August 2023.
Along with their marriage, the couple also moved from Woodstock to uptown Kingston to be in a more central location between their soon-to-be two shops. Jeremy left his old job at Union Square Hospitality Group in the beginning of 2022 to pursue Moonrise Bagels full time, while Ali more recently left her job as an Associate Vice President of Fashion at Jennifer Bett Communications this month to put more of her time into the joint endeavor.
As for their second shop, Ali and Jeremy picked Poughkeepsie initially for its more urban environment. After spending more time in the city, the two grew to love the already existing delicious food options, new construction projects, and close proximity to several colleges and universities. For Moonrise Bagels, the new Hudson Heritage development across from Marist College instantly felt like the perfect next location for the brand.
“We’ve started to meet other local business owners and are really looking forward to joining the Dutchess County community,” says co-founder Ali Chetkof Rhodes.
Although running their own business has definitely been challenging for the couple, they are thankful everyday that they have each other to lean on. Ali and Jeremy have learned to trust themselves and their vision to keep moving forward, and the result has been an amazing community reception at their flagship location in Woodstock that has served as a driving force in their expansion efforts.
Stuffed, boiled, and baked by hand fresh and in-house every day, Moonrise Bagels offers a unique treat to anyone who loves New York bagels. As expected, the bacon, egg, and cheese stuffed bagel is the bestseller, followed by the pastrami Reuben stuffed bagel. Recently, the brand added an entirely plant-based sausage, egg, and cheese flavor to the menu that is a must-try. Although the owners are not vegan, their new option has quickly become one of their favorites to recommend to customers who are in search of a cheese-free selection. Additionally, a new eggplant parm stuffed bagel is another savory treat for vegetarians who visit the shop. Aside from stuffed bagels, Moonrise Bagels has also been praised for making the best unstuffed bagels in the area.
To accommodate the growing following, the Woodstock-based bagel shop has added nationwide shipping to its website. Unsurprisingly, Moonrise Bagels has already shipped to all 50 states. Whether for yourself or as a gift to distant friends and relatives, ordering the coveted stuffed bagels online is the perfect way to support the business from afar.
The perfect on-the-go food, stuffed bagels are not only portable but also affordable and mess-free, give or take a few seeds. Just like the Woodstock location, the new Poughkeepsie shop that hopes to open this summer will offer an option for customers to order ahead for pickup.
“The opportunities of what you can put inside a bagel are endless and we’re excited to have more space within our Poughkeepsie location to continue to experiment!” Says Ali.
Moonrise Bagels is located at 68 Tinker Street in Woodstock. The new location will reside in the Hudson Heritage Plaza in Poughkeepsie.
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