RICHMOND, Va. — After years in both finance and world-class kitchens, Yero Rudzinskas traded spreadsheets for bagels. The move, so far, has paid off.
His year-old shop, Baltik’s Bagel on Forest Hill Avenue in South Richmond, won the People’s Choice Award at New York City’s Bagel Fest, beating 25 other bakeries, including Utopia Bagel and Modern Bagel.
“Just getting selected to compete was huge for us,” Rudzinskas told Eat It, Virginia! hosts Scott Wise and Robey Martin. “We were eight months old when we were invited.”
He transported his bagel dough in an air-conditioned Sprinter van, “like driving a fridge five and a half hours to New York,” and baked on-site in Queens after 28 hours of prep.
More than 2,000 attendees, paying $150 apiece, voted Baltik’s their favorite.
“The next day, business tripled,” he said. “By Tuesday morning there was a line out the door. It’s been a wild ride.”
A Chef’s Return to Impact
Rudzinskas trained at the Culinary Institute of America and worked in Michelin-starred restaurants like Le Bernardin and Eleven Madison Park.
He left hospitality for finance at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and a tech job at Yelp. Still, he missed the joy of serving food.
"You think, ‘I don’t have to wear pants, this is cool,'" he said about taking Zoom calls while working in the business world. "Then you realize maybe this isn’t what life’s about."
Drawn by his wife’s University of Richmond roots, the couple moved to Richmond after living in Charlotte, Denver and California.
"Richmond’s dynamic is changing," he said. "We’re excited to be part of the bagel story here."
Rudzinskas believes a great bagel should have “an eggshell crust, dense body, custardy crumb, and a distinct snap.”
Baltik’s uses multi-day fermentation and bakes fresh all day, he said.
Their “Softie,” a softer but still boiled bagel, solves a simple problem when bagel sandwich fillings fall out.
Other flavors include rosemary bacon salt and apple cider with caramelized apple inside the dough.
Baltik’s cream cheeses range from pepper picante to fresh strawberry.
“We’re not trying to be New York,” Rudzinskas said, “but to bring something wonderful to the South Side of Richmond.”
Obsession, Excellence, and Teamwork
Rudzinskas said he applies Michelin-level precision to Baltik's Bagel.
“We’re managing four businesses in one," he said. "A bakery, a sandwich shop, wholesale and catering all from 1,500 square feet, with 15 people making it happen."
With only a handful of artisanal bagel shops serving the Richmond-area's growing population, Rudzinskas said he jumped at the opportunity to move into the South Side location that had both a parking lot and drive-thru.
"It’s been a community success," he said.
But national acclaim has brought long lines.
"We’re working toward Bodo’s Bagel-style efficiency,” he said, referring to the legendary Charlottesville shop where service is lightning-fast.
Planning for Growth
Expansion is next, but Rudzinskas wants the right neighborhood fit, a “one of one” location that serves locals on their way to work.
But Richmond’s population boom has attracted national chains, making prime real estate scarce.
"National brands see Richmond as a key city. For local operators, it makes expansion a challenge," he said. "When we find the spot, it’s going to be great."
Baltik’s opened on Forest Hill Avenue with a neighborhood focus.
On its second day, staff handed out free bagels and Rudzinskas said a young girl responded with a note asking them to stay open later so she could get bagels after school.
"That’s when I realized something special was happening,” Rudzinskas said. “We want to be in neighborhoods where that can happen again."
Craft, Family, and Heritage
Before opening, Rudzinskas said he studied every local bagel’s weight, size and texture before finalizing his bagel menu.
He says his menu standouts include the Triple BLT on a bacon, rosemary, salt bagel, the River City Sunrise breakfast sandwich, and the Snowbird lox bagel, served open-face so “the first thing that hits your gums is cold, smooth salmon.”
Food runs in his blood.
His father opened a restaurant in San Francisco, and Rudzinskas grew up in food-rich Sonoma County foraging mussels and berries. His brother now works at Baltik’s.
“Feeding people was the only thing that ever made sense,” he said.
Even the name “Baltik’s” honors his Lithuanian roots and the bagel’s origins in the region’s Jewish community.
Back in Richmond, Rudzinskas says he has built something special.
“We see ourselves as 60% bagel shop, 30% community center, and 10% madness,” he said. “And we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
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