Jacob Cooper’s Saturdays don’t look like a typical 29-year-old’s.
On a recent one, Cooper was up by 4:15 a.m., out of his Brooklyn apartment by 4:30, and ready to cook at a nearby commercial kitchen by 5. He and his staff prepared hundreds of hand-rolled, bite-sized bagels they’d sell that day across two events in New York City.
Cooper spent his morning selling freshly baked pizza bagels to pop-up shoppers in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, worked at the Queens Night Market until midnight, and finally ended his day at home at 2 a.m.
Despite the 22-hour day, Cooper says he doesn’t regret leaving his former six-figure tech job to start his food business, Pizzabagel.nyc.
Cooper launched the business in January 2025 and as of October has brought in close to $92,000 for the year.
