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Popular Nashville family-owned bagel shop plans to expand

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — When practically all of Nashville was frozen last January, Niko and Becca Bendaj hoped their business would be successful. Less than a year later, with lines on weekends stretching around corners and into back hallways of their building on Robertson Avenue, they announced the second location of Benji's Bagel and Coffee House.

Benji's Bagel, popular in West Nashville, to open new East Nashville location

Within a year of opening, wildly popular Benji's Bagel & Coffee House in West Nashville has secured an East Nashville spot for a second location, co-owner Niko Bendaj said. That spot, on Cherokee Avenue in East Nashville's Laurel & Pine community, next to Frankies 925 Spuntino, should be open in about eight months, Bendaj said.

Meet Niko And Becca Bendaj

Niko and Becca, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Our love of bagels and creating food that brings people together plays a big role in where we are today and how we found our purpose. Food, something as simple yet comforting as a bagel, can foster connections in a community. Bagels, in particular, have a special place in our heart as it brought us closer together when we were dating. We saw a gap in food options in the Charlotte Park area and knew that this was the right place to build out our plans. We wanted to build something from the ground up, create jobs, and to contribute to our local area which helped shape our purpose. We have plans for expansion, continuing to connect with people through food and fostering a welcoming community in the process.

'You have to go all in': New bagel shop in Nashville is one couple's dream come true

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's a story that begins about 5,000 miles from Music City. Just northwest of Greece, is the country of Albania. It's a little bigger than the size of Vermont. It's where Niko Bendaj was born. 'I moved to New York City and that’s how I got here' Niko said. He moved there in 2011.

11 Essential Nashville Bagel Shops

Nashville is home to an impressive number of bagel shops dedicated to authentic, scratch-made bagels. Yes, you can get a 'real' bagel right here in Music City — and just about any cream cheese flavor you could want!

Food Notes: Charlotte Park set for café

A New York-style bagel-focused café is planned for a year's end opening for Charlotte Park’s Breeze Block development. According to a Metro permit, Benji's Bagel and Coffee House will take about 1,470 square feet of space at the mixed-use development owned by Vintage South Development. The address is 6100 Robertson Ave.

Benji’s Bagel and Coffee House will bring the East Coast to West Nashville

According to recent building permits and stated on its brand new website Benji’s Bagel and Coffee House is slated to open at 6108 Robertson Avenue in West Nashville from husband and wife duo Niko and Becca Bendaj. The pair has roots in Manhattan’s restaurant industry and will bring authentic New York-style bagels, coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries to Music City.

How this Albanian and his wife built a Nashville hotspot

How this Albanian and his wife built a Nashville hotspot

Niko and Becca Bendaj were meant to start a bagel shop. Kismet had them from the beginning when Niko, from Albania on a lottery visa, and Becca, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, met at Salinas, a restaurant in New York City. She spied on him waiting tables and that was it. Fast forward 10 years to 2020 when the couple relocated to Nashville.