Behind the Dough
An inside look at the "ingredients" that make up our business.
The acquisition of Pizagel's in late 2022 is not the first restaurant venture for Kevin Dunford and Crysi & Joe Sessel. They also own Paisano's Ristorante, which they took over in late 2021, and Kevin owns Tiki Taco Shack. These acquisitions have helped them establish a solid reputation.
Jim Burgardt, the previous owner of Pizagel's, approached Kevin as Jim was planning his retirement. The Team was a perfect fit for continuing the restaurant's legacy. Pizagel's, previously known as Bagel Express, has been operating as a bakery, café, and pizzeria for almost 30 years. A rebranding effort and menu overhaul resulted in the current concept of serving bagels for breakfast and pizza for dinner, both made from homemade dough. The trio has no plans to change this successful model. The baker who crafts Pizagel's dough has been perfecting his craft there for over two decades. Their advantage lies in meeting the expectations of long-time customers while guiding them into the future, which has proven challenging for traditional restaurateurs.