Badger Bagels (shown proofing in this photograph), a wholesale line of gluten-free, vegan bagels, has closed. Photo courtesy of Badger Bagels

North Yarmouth gluten-free bagel wholesaler Badger Bagels shut down production Saturday as owner Chris Franklin prepares to return to work in land conservation.

Formerly the executive director of the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust for 12 years, Franklin launched Badger Bagels in 2023 as a passion project. Since then, he estimated that he personally made more than 55,000 bagels, which he sold to markets and cafes around the state, as well as to individual buyers.

Franklin said in retrospect, his time running Badger Bagels feels more like a “sabbatical,” as he will return to conservation work later in February as executive director of Royal River Conservation Trust in Yarmouth.

“I sort of fell in love with the product once I developed it,” Franklin said. “There’s a lot of demand for gluten-free, and it’s only going to grow. So in some ways, it’s an opportunity missed. But the reality is that this (the land trust) is a better opportunity for me.”

Franklin said Badger Bagels remains viable, and he’s hoping to find someone interested in keeping the business alive, either at Badger’s dedicated gluten-free kitchen in North Yarmouth or at another location.

While Badger Bagels ceased production Feb. 1, Franklin said Badger product is still on the shelves at area markets and cafes. He added that he may occasionally sell his gluten-free bagels at area farmers markets.

 

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