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Tampa's Homesick Bagels brings a taste of Jersey to North Hyde Park

By Corey Beckman
Published  April 22, 2026 4:55pm EDT
Made in Tampa Bay
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • Homesick Bagels was opened by Travis Kaiser to bring an authentic New Jersey-style bagel shop experience to Tampa.
    • The shop focuses on simple, traditional bagels and classic sandwiches, building on the success of Kaiser's nearby Santoro’s Pizza.
    • Kaiser aims to create a neighborhood feel, offering fresh, in-house bagels made the old-school way in an open kitchen.

TAMPA, Fla. - For Travis Kaiser, bagels are personal. Growing up at the Jersey Shore, he says weekly trips to the bagel shop were part of life. Now, he is bringing that tradition to Tampa through Homesick Bagels.

The backstory:

Kaiser opened Santoro’s Pizza first, seeing strong demand in the North Hyde Park neighborhood. That success led him to expand nearby with a bagel shop serving the same community.

Homesick Bagels keeps things simple. Kaiser says the goal is to do the classics right, from bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches to fresh bagels made in-house. Customers can watch the process in an open kitchen, where bagels are boiled and baked the old school way.

Big picture view:

Kaiser says the focus is not just the food, but the experience. He wants customers to feel like regulars in a family-owned shop where people know their order and take pride in the work. 

"We just want to hammer home that we’re a classic bagel shop, and if you want a really great bagel, this is where you come," Kaiser said.

Homesick Bagels is located at 1528 W North B St., Tampa, FL 33606. They are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The Source: Information for this story was gathered from an interview with the owner of Homesick Bagels and Santoro's Pizza.

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