What does it take to turn a great bagel into a scalable national—and ultimately global—brand? Dan Smith, CEO of Brooklyn Water Bagel, shares how the company is building from 20 Florida locations toward its goal of becoming the leading breakfast-centric fast-casual concept in the world, with expansion underway into Michigan, Ohio, Texas and California. Drawing on a career that began at Domino’s and included leadership experience with KFC and Pizza Hut, Dan shares his insights on scaling—building a proven platform, understanding the customer, assembling a quality team and creating repeatable execution—while maintaining a relentless attention to detail, from Brooklyn Water Bagel’s proprietary 14-step water system that recreates New York water to innovations like coffee ice cubes. His entrepreneurial philosophy is equally distinctive: “There is no ‘no‘, you just haven’t figured out the yes.”
Interview recorded on August 18th, 2026.