Building the next NEIGHBORHOOD OBESSesION

Stephen graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC, formalizing his culinary training and grounding his creativity in technical skill, discipline, and execution before stepping fully into leadership and brand building.

O’Bagel was founded by Stephen’s immigrant father, who spent decades behind the counter building a neighborhood staple. In 2016, Stephen opened the Hoboken location, led a rebrand, modernized operations, and began building the foundation for scalable growth while staying true to the brand’s roots.

Stephen won Guy’s Grocery Games in 2019 and competed as a semi-finalist in the Tournament of Champions in 2020, bringing national visibility to O’Bagel. That same year, the brand launched on Goldbelly and aggressively expanded nationwide shipping, introducing the product to customers across the country.

Stephen developed comprehensive SOPs in 2022, formalized through work at Rutgers University, and launched a centralized commissary in 2024. This phase marked a hyper-focus on quality assurance, consistency, and infrastructure designed to support responsible, long-term scaling.

Stephen launched Mile Square Cafe as Creative Director, Executive Chef, and CEO, building the concept from the ground up. The cafe earned immediate recognition, including Best New Restaurant and global acclaim. In parallel, Stephen solidified O’Bagel’s FDD and successfully launched the first franchise location in Montclair in 2025, with multiple new locations opening and a long-term growth pipeline in place.