Head chef and co-founder of Blaze Pizza, Brad Kent, is opening a brand new restaurant in Highland Park, CA later this fall, Bagel+Slice. Bagel+Slice is more than just another restaurant. This restaurant represents community, social awareness, and environmentally friendly solutions with a commitment to health consciousness for both its customers' well being as well as the planet's natural resources. For the past 30 years, food scientist and internationally-renowned chef Brad Kent has been working tirelessly to perfect the taste and texture of both pizzas and bagels which marks now as the perfect time to debut his new establishment, Bagel+Slice. Paying homage to the historic New York City bagel makers, Bagel+Slice rolls its bagels by hand (not a machine), boils the bagels (instead of steaming them), bakes its bagels on a burlap lined board (not parchment paper), and bakes its bagels in a hearth oven (not a convection oven). Bagel+Slice is gluten-friendly and its wheat doughs for bagels and pizzas are all vegan. 

Bagel+Slice is committed to the future of our planet by contributing in major ways towards reversing climate change. One important contribution they are making, which has been linked with being one of the most highly effective ways for reducing greenhouse gasses and isolating carbon from the environment, is by sourcing regenerative organic farming ingredients.

In addition, Bagel+Slice uses FDA- and USDA-certified Ozone oxygen to disinfect its entire establishment. Ozone oxygen is a type of O3 oxygen which is naturally produced by the sun and lightning and is nature’s way of cleaning by using electricity. With the recent and ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Ozone is the safest and most effective way to clean and disinfect without adding harmful chemicals to the environment. 

Bagel+Slice is also committed to helping its local community. Bagel+Slice will pay all team members above minimum wage and will maintain a lower profit margin to keep profits at a maximum of 15 percent profit. By keeping the profit margin low, employees receive higher rates of compensation while consumers enjoy more affordable products with quality ingredients! Bagel+Slice is proud to source many ingredients and artwork from local artisans and they are thrilled to partner with Occidental College in Los Angeles on educational projects. Bagel+Slice is also an approved vendor that will accept Bengal Bucks so students can use their dining card while visiting.

Bagel+Slice aims to support its neighbors instead of push them out. When asked about the gentrification of the local community of Highland Park, Kent stated, “We are committed to providing jobs for our community that pay better than minimum wage and hope to be able to offer exceptional employment benefits that would not normally be offered in a typical 'small business.' We are also committed to charging the lowest possible prices for the highest quality products that incorporate premium ingredients to make our very familiar foods accessible. Our commitment to a lower profit margin ensures that we can provide affordable, high-quality meals for ALL our neighbors.”